(KRON) – A 34-year-old San Jose woman was charged with second-degree murder this week in the death of a San Mateo County Jail inmate who died of a drug overdose.
Ashley “Ashley” Joe Gromnicki made her first court appearance on Tuesday and did not enter a plea.
According to prosecutors, Gromnicki sold fentanyl to another female inmate at Maple Street Correctional Center in Redwood City.
Inmate Markisha Monique Renee Blount, 31, was found dead of a fentanyl overdose inside a jail cell on Sept. 29, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Jail personnel administered Narcan and attempted to rescue her to no avail. The victim was in a prison cell with seven other women and fentanyl was present in the cell,” the district attorney’s office wrote.
Gromnicki has a lengthy criminal record in Santa Clara County, court records show, with several prior convictions for drug possession. During one of her arrests, police officers warned Gromnicki about the dangers of fentanyl and introduced him to other users, prosecutors said.
On Tuesday, San Mateo County Judge Lisa Novak ordered Gromnicki to remain in custody without bail. She is scheduled to appear in court on October 23.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Markisha’s family and loved ones during this unimaginable time. Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug. Even the smallest amount can be fatal,” Sheriff Christina Corpus said.
Investigators said the drugs that killed Blount were smuggled into the prison.
The Sheriff’s Office said it uses several security measures to prevent people from smuggling illegal drugs into its jails, including body scanning machines, K-9 units, and visitor rules.
Just one day after Blount’s fatal overdose, a former inmate entered Maple Street Correctional Center with drugs and attempted to visit a current inmate, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The former inmate and parolee was identified by the sheriff as 27-year-old Brian E. Siordia of San Jose.
Deputies saw Siordia in the jail lobby and arrested him for being in the building without legal authorization. After his arrest, Siordia was found in possession of suspected methamphetamine and a cell phone hidden in his shoe, the sheriff’s office said.
Siordia remained behind bars at Maguire Correctional Facility as of Wednesday afternoon, inmate records show.