FRIENDS LINKED TO OVERDOSE

Jose Chaparro died after the third hit of methamphetamine.

Bakersfield police said the 43-year-old local resident died during a
pre-Easter drug binge after friends pumped him full of methamphetamine in a
desperate attempt to shock him out of a heroin coma.

They thought meth, a stimulant, would counteract the effects of the heroin,
a depressant, said Bakersfield Police Department Sgt. Mark Grimm.

It killed him instead.

"They then concocted a plan to get rid of the body," Grimm said. "They put
him in the bed of his own pickup, drove him out to East White Lane, which
is fairly remote, and hopped into another vehicle and fled."

A woman noticed the body baking in the sun, less than 12 hours later, and
called police.

On Thursday and Friday, police served three search warrants and arrested
three people on suspicion of murder.

Tammy Velasquez, 38, was arrested at 9:10 p.m. Thursday at her home, 931 E.
Brundage Lane, the location where Chaparro died, police said.

Joe Ruiz, 48, was arrested at 7 a.m. Friday at a home in the 500 block of
East Fourth Street.

Ruiz allowed police to search the property, and officers found a pile of
partially burned clothing in the back yard. Grimm said Ruiz appeared to
have been trying to burn evidence that would connect him to Chaparro's death.

Police also arrested Mary Diaz, 41, at 4 p.m. Friday at her home at 4032 O St.

They discovered a street-level amount of methamphetamine and records of
drug sales at the residence, Grimm said.

Police reports indicate Chaparro was at Velasquez's home March 30, when he
ingested heroin and immediately collapsed.

Grimm said investigations into the crime have indicated that Chaparro was
not a regular heroin user, but was not forced to take the drug.

Ruiz was called to the home and tried to revive Chaparro with ice, a common
tactic for drug users, Grimm said.

When the ice didn't work, Diaz was called. She checked Chaparro for vital
signs, according to police, and found a faint pulse.

She then allegedly injected Chaparro with methamphetamine -- hoping it
would revive him. Meth was injected into Chaparro three times.

"Detectives believe he was alive until the third injection," Grimm said.

After Chaparro died, Ruiz allegedly helped put the body in the victim's
pickup while Velasquez allegedly wiped fingerprints off of the vehicle,
police reports state.

Then authorities believe Ruiz drove the truck to the 100 block of East
White Lane and abandoned it.

Police detectives began investigating the crime after coroner investigators
determined Chaparro died of an overdose.

All three suspects will be arraigned on murder charges this week, Grimm said.

The investigation into Chaparro's death is continuing, and police say they
expect to arrest additional suspects.