City of Tempe, AZ
08/29/2025 | Press release | Archived content
Tempe Police Arrest Man for Selling Fatal Dose of Fentanyldetail
TEMPE, AZ - Tempe police arrested a man accused of supplying the fentanyl that led to a deadly overdose earlier this year.
On March 15th, officers found 47-year-old Chris Joseph unresponsive in a parked Toyota Corolla at Jackson's Car Wash, located at 2096 E Rio Salado Parkway. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner later confirmed that Joseph died from acute fentanyl poisoning.
Detectives identified Freddie Avila as a key suspect after reviewing messages between him and Joseph. The messages revealed a planned drug deal at Tempe Marketplace the night before Joseph was found.
On August 27th, officers stopped Avila's vehicle and brought him in for questioning. He admitted to giving drugs to Joseph and said he saw Joseph reacting badly to the drugs before leaving the scene. Avila said he believed the victim was having a "bad trip".
Police arrested Avila and booked him into Maricopa County Jail for the following charges:
- Sale of Narcotic Drugs
- Sale of Lethal Fentanyl
The Tempe Police Department is committed to holding drug supplies accountable and protecting the community from the dangers of fentanyl.
City of Tempe, AZ published this content on August 29, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 02, 2025 at 21:03 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]