Los Angeles [US], July 14 : The untimely demise of Robert De Niro's grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez has left everyone in shock.
In a major update into the death case, an alleged drug dealer known as the “Percocet Princess” has been arrested.
The woman named Sofia Haley Marks, 20, allegedly sold Leandro De Niro Rodriguez drugs before he was found dead in his Financial District apartment on July 2, law enforcement sources told The Post.
According to The New York Post, Sofia was arrested on Thursday during an undercover sting operation conducted by the NYPD, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security.
She’s been federally charged with the distribution of narcotics and is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan federal court on Friday morning, sources said.
From the outset, police have been probing Leandro’s death as a possible overdose after a white powdery substance and drug paraphernalia were found near the teenager’s body.
Leandro’s mother, Drena De Niro, is Robert De Niro’s eldest daughter with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott.
Drena had previously disclosed she believes her son died after taking pills laced with fentanyl. The person who sold the tainted drugs to the teenager did so knowingly, she claimed.
“Someone sold him fentanyl-laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” she wrote on Instagram in response to a comment asking about the cause of her son’s death.
“So for all these people still f–king around selling and buying this s–t, my son is gone forever,” she added.
The city medical examiner has yet to reveal an official cause of death, but sources said NYPD detectives in Narcotics Borough Manhattan South have been brought in to probe the case.
The 19-year-old Leandro was a budding young actor. He had featured in 'A Star Is Born' which was directed by Bradley Cooper. He was also a part of 2018 drama 'Cabaret Maxime'.
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