Attorney General Bonta and Placer County District Attorney Gire Announce Sentencing in Roseville Fentanyl Homicide Case

ROSEVILLE — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, along with Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire, announced the sentencing of Nathaniel Cabacungan for the June 2022 homicide of J. Wolf, a 15-year-old female from Roseville. Cabacungan, a 20-year-old Roseville resident, supplied Wolf with fake M-30 pills that resulted in her fentanyl overdose death. Cabacungan was arrested on August 10, 2022, after an investigation by the Placer County Special Investigation Unit (PSIU), led by the California Department of Justice and in collaboration with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Roseville Police Department, Rocklin Police Department, Auburn Police Department, the Placer County Probation Department, and the Placer County District Attorney's Office. Today, a judge in the Placer County Superior Court sentenced Cabacungan to 15 years to life after he pled guilty to homicide. 

“Throughout the nation, we continue to address the impacts of the opioid crisis, and have, in recent years, seen a marked increase in fentanyl use and associated deaths,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today we grieve the loss of yet another young life to this drug — a loss that should never have occurred in the first place. We hope that today’s sentencing brings some sense of closure to this young woman’s family. Let this be a warning to the poison peddlers in California's neighborhoods: We will hold you accountable. I want to thank the Placer County District Attorney and our law enforcement partners in Placer County for working with us to make our community safer."

“Our message is simple: do not sell this poison in Placer County. This historic sentence affirms our county’s commitment to holding fentanyl dealers accountable,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire. “Through aggressive prosecution, county-wide investigations, support from our local officials, and our 1 Pill Can Kill Placer campaign, we will save lives through education, enforcement and empowering our community members. We will continue to stand with the Wolf family to honor her memory by educating our kids of the dangers of fentanyl.” 

Fentanyl is a powerful and potentially addictive synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. A small amount of fentanyl, just two milligrams, can result in overdose and potentially death.

Attorney General Bonta continues DOJ’s work with local, state, and federal partners to end the fentanyl crisis through efforts with state and local law partners, securing ongoing funding for DOJ fentanyl enforcement, operations to remove fentanyl from California communities including in Placer and Merced Counties, and legal actions to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable. Since April 2022, DOJ fentanyl seizures totaled approximately 9,348,852 fentanyl pills seized, 1,213 pounds of powder seized, and over 200 arrests.