Prosecutors say they distributed thousands of fentanyl-laced Xanax pills, leading to multiple overdoses, including Leandro’s and two other 19-year-olds during summer 2023. A medical examiner ruled Leandro’s death accidental, citing fentanyl and several other substances.

Family Grief and Public Outcry
Leandro’s mother, Drena De Niro, expressed unbearable heartbreak online:
“My beautiful sweet angel… You were so deeply loved. I wish love alone could have saved you.”