Dealer Faces Murder Charges in Drug Related Death of Spring Hill Teen

Jesse Montes Cruz is charged with murder for selling drugs that led to the death of a Spring Hill teen in November.

Cruz, according to the Williamson County Grand Jury indictment of him, “knowingly or recklessly” sold Fentanyl or heroin laced with Fentanyl, an opiate painkiller much stronger and more lethal than heroin, to 18-year old Hannah Hicks of Spring Hill sometime between November 11 and 12 of 2016, the use of which led to her death.

Jesse Cruz Montes

The 21-year old Cruz, who resides in College Grove, was arrested at Buffalo Valley rehabilitation center on Monday, by Spring Hill police after information was received that he was in in-patient drug rehabilitation treatment, according to Williamson County Court records.

Because of Hicks’ death, which was found to be from Fentanyl, the grand jury charged him with Second Degree Murder, Reckless Homicide and the sale of Schedule I and II Narcotics, of which Fentanyl is classified as.

Hicks was found dead at her Spring Hill home in November.

Cruz faces an arraignment May 26 at 9 a.m. at Williamson County courthouse and is in Williamson County jail on $50,000 bail.

Fentanyl is 100 times more powerful than morphine, and has been the cause of a spike in overdoses in heroin uses, according to the DEA’s website.