DALLAS – A Dallas County inmate has been charged with murder after allegedly giving fentanyl to another inmate who later died of an overdose.

Inmate Overdose at Dallas County Jail

Daisy Zuniga, 26 (Source: Dallas County Jail)

What we know:

According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, detention officers were conducting their rounds on July 13 when they found four female inmates in medical distress. They were taken to Parkland Hospital for a possible overdose.

One inmate, 21-year-old Quinnetta Brinkley, died at the hospital. 

Daisy Zuniga was later charged with murder in connection with Brinkley’s death.

Dig deeper:

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX 4, Zuniga had shared drugs with Brinkley and the other victims, which witnesses reported she had smuggled into the jail in a body cavity. 

The court documents state detectives went into a cell and “observed a blue baggy containing a white substance… which gave a positive result as fentanyl.”

Zuniga admitted to authorities that she had smuggled fentanyl, methamphetamine and Xanax into the facility and had shared the substances with the three other inmates before they were all found unresponsive, the document states.

The 26-year-old suspect was in jail after being arrested on July 11 for drug possession and trespassing.

“She stated that she successfully made it through the x-ray scanner and a strip search without the drugs being detected,” the affidavit states.

What they’re saying:

Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price shared his reaction to the smuggled contraband.

“Officer safety is imperative. And so, they’re looking primarily for weapons. But, they’re not exploring, you know, all of their cavities. And unfortunately, sometimes things happen. I mean, we do pat-down searches,” Price said. “I want to say it’s a one off, but we’re not going to check every cavity, you know. We can’t.”

The commissioner said that while this death is a concern, he does not think this incident is an indictment on jail staff.

“The officers know what they’re doing there. So they’re not totally relying on just what we call the screening machine. They are patting down as well,” he said. “When you look at urban counties, when you look at where Dallas County is on in-custody death, I mean we’re at the bottom.”

What’s next:

Zuniga is now charged with murder for providing fentanyl to a victim, causing their death. She’s also still facing charges for possession of a controlled substance and criminal trespassing.

Her bond is now set at $501,000.

What we don’t know:

The reason for Brinkley’s incarceration has not been released.

The Source: Information in this article is from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the Dallas County Jail.

Dallas CountyCrime and Public Safety