District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Rodney Rey Yanez (DOB 03/11/69), of Oxnard, has been charged with the second-degree murder of Dylan Rusch. This marks the first time the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has filed murder charges against a defendant who knowingly sold the deadly synthetic drug, fentanyl, to a victim who overdosed and died. Yanez is also charged with an additional nine felonies and four misdemeanors related to his alleged drug possession and sale activity.
“The filing of murder charges in a fentanyl overdose case underscores the grave responsibility we have to protect our community from the devastating impact of this deadly drug,” said District Attorney Nasarenko. “We are committed to seeking justice for victims and holding accountable those who provide this poison.”
Yanez made his first court appearance today and his arraignment was continued to August 21, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 11 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He remains in custody with bail set at $1 million. A bail review hearing is scheduled for July 29, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 13.