UPDATE: Man arrested in connection to fake “Xanax” in Santa Cruz

A 22-year-old Watsonville man has been arrested in connection to a deadly counterfeit “Xanax” circulating Santa Cruz County, according to authorities with the sheriff’s department.

Daniel Meehan, 22, is in jail on $50,000 bail. He was arrested for manufacturing and sales of a controlled substance, possession of an illegal assault weapon, marijuana sales and cultivation.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart made the announcement Tuesday morning.

The sheriff’s department recently warned people about the deadly drug, which is also circulating San Francisco.

“Three people who have been affected by this street level drug, well what we believe to be the street level drug, two of them have passed away, one from Watsonville and one from Aptos,” said Lt. Kelly Kent of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department last week.

On Oct. 29, two 19-year-old Watsonville men took what they thought was “Xanax” at a party, according to the sheriff’s department. One of them died a few days later. Then, on Oct. 27, a 29-year-old Aptos man also took what he thought was “Xanax” and died the next day. The department said a toxicology report concluded he died from a lethal does of the opioid medication Fentanyl.

The “Xanax” that is circulating is generically known as Alprazolam, usually prescribed for anxiety or as a sleep aid.

On Nov. 6, the sheriff department’s Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Anti-Crime Task Force served a search warrant at Meehan’s house on Calavasas Rd. in Watsonville. Detectives found cocaine, four firearms, an active Butane Honey Oil lab and 80 marijuana plants.

According to the sheriff’s department, Meehan admitted he gave the 29-year-old Aptos man the fake medication and then said he tried to destroy the pills after he found out they were dangerous. He said he burned the pills and then dumped them on White Road in Watsonville. Detectives did find ten of the pills.