S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY
smmirror.com
February 12 – February 18, 2021 Volume LXXV, Issue 80
INSIDE FPCC RULES ON CONFLICT OF INTEREST PAGE 4
Santa Monica Teen Dies From Fentanyl Overdose After Contacted by Dealer on Snapchat Mother says to “please watch your kids” after tragic incident By Sam Catanzaro
“Please watch your kids,” says the Santa Monica mother of a 16-year-old who recently died from a fentanyl overdose after a drug dealer contacted her son–a straight-A student getting ready for college–via Snapchat. On Sunday, February 7, a 16-year-old boy died from a fentanyl overdose in his Santa Monica home. According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), around 4:24 p.m. officers and paramedics responded to the house on the 1700 block of Yale Street to find the teenager unconscious and not breathing. “Despite paramedic’s efforts, the minor was pronounced a short time after,” said SMPD Lieutenant Rudy Flores. Flores noted”a preliminary investigation leads us to believe prescription drug use may have been involved,” a statement confirmed by the boy’s mother. “My beautiful boy is gone. 16 years old. Sheltering at home. A drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat and gave him fentanyl laced Xanax or Percocet (toxicology will tell) and he overdosed in his room,” said Dr. Laura Berman, mother of 16-year-old Samuel Berman Chapman. “We watched him so closely. Straight A student. Getting ready for college. Experimentation gone bad. He got the drugs delivered to the house.” Dr. Berman, a leading relationship expert
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
Snap’s Santa Monica offices.
and sex therapist, is advising parents to monitor their childrens’ social media activity to prevent such tragedies. “They do this because it hooks people even more and is good for business but it causes overdose and the kids don’t know what they are taking. My heart is completely shattered and I am not sure how to keep breathing. I
post this now only so that not one more kid dies,” Dr. Berman said. “Please watch your kids and WATCH SNAPCHAT especially. That’s how they get them.” A Snap Spokesperson, when reached for comment, said the company was “heartbroken” by the passing of the boy and is working with law enforcement. “Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of Samuel Berman Chapman and we are heartbroken by his passing,” the spokesperson said. “We are committed to working together with law enforcement in this case and in all instances where Snapchat is used for illegal purposes. We have zero-tolerance for using Snapchat to buy or sell illegal drugs. Using Snapchat for illegal purposes is firmly against our community guidelines and we enforce against these violations. We are constantly improving our technological capabilities to detect drug-related activity so that we can intervene proactively.”
Photo: Courtesy Dr. Laura Berman
Dr. Laura Berman and her son Samuel Berman Chapman who recently died from an overdose.
Dealer on Snapchat, see page 9