Man arrested for selling deadly dose of fentanyl at popular East Valley shopping center

PHOENIX — A man has been taken into custody for allegedly selling a dose of fentanyl that killed another man at an East Valley shopping center, authorities announced Friday.

Freddie Avila, 28, was booked into jail on charges of selling narcotic drugs and selling lethal fentanyl after the death of 47-year-old Chris Joseph in March, according to the Tempe Police Department.

On March 15, Joseph was found unresponsive in a parked car at Jackson’s Car Wash, which is on Rio Salado Drive at the southeast corner of Tempe Marketplace, police said.

Joseph later died and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled that his death was caused by acute fentanyl poisoning.

How did police find suspect accused of selling deadly dose of fentanyl?

Detectives were able to identify Avila as a suspect through text messages that showed he and Joseph planned to meet at Tempe Marketplace for a drug deal on the night of March 14.

On Wednesday, Tempe officers brought Avila in for questioning after a traffic stop.

The department said Avila admitted he gave drugs to Joseph and that he saw Joseph having a bad reaction to them, which he thought was Joseph having a “bad trip.”

Avila was booked into the Maricopa County Jail and is being held on a $250,000 bond.

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