Barely showing his face during his first court appearance via video call on Friday, Nathaniel Cabacungan went before a Placer County Superior Court judge to hear the murder and felony drug charges he faces.Cabacungan is responsible for a Roseville 15-year old's fentanyl-related death, Placer County's district attorney said.According to Roseville police, the girl was found dead on June 21.“These cases highlight those dangers, and the importance of knowing the risks of these counterfeit pills, and the fentanyl that's available on our streets,” DA Morgan Gire said. The Placer County district attorney said Cabacungan is set to be back in court next week to enter a plea. In the meantime, he's in jail, being held without bail.“We are in an epidemic and I mean that in every sense of the word,” Gire said. “Fentanyl is everywhere. Particularly with our youth. They are dying. It is accessible. It is everywhere.”Rob Hasty of Roseville Joint Union High School District agreed.“Working in schools, I see how it impacts families that we work with. how it impacts the kids that it's their best friend whose life was taken,” Hasty said.In his role, Hasty oversees safety among students and staff district-wide. He’s witnessed how fentanyl has taken a dramatic toll on the community. “We like to think that our community is sheltered and protected from this stuff,” he said. “Unfortunately we're not.”According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is now the leading cause of death among 18 to 45-year-olds in the United States.The DA's office indicates on its 1 Pill Can Kill Placer webpage, that in 2020, 24 Placer County residents died from fentanyl poisoning. Nearly half of them were under 25 — marking a 700% increase over 2019 numbers.“I don't know that a lot of families really understand just how potent fentanyl is,” Hasty said. “If a small amount gets into a pill that somebody would ingest, it has the potential to be lethal.”Community leaders like Hasty hope their awareness-raising efforts reach families region-wide.“It's not a scare tactic and it's not intended to scare anybody, it's about educating, and saying, ‘Be safe. Be smart,’” he said. “We value your life. You're a part of our community and we value you.”The Roseville teenager's death — a tragic reminder of one such valued life — now gone.“We’ve seen a number of these cases,” Gire said. “As with all of them the victim's family is devastated.”