Henderson: 'Let this be a warning to those who sell illicit narcotics'

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) has announced the arrest of a 19-year-old man in the deaths of two seniors at The Woodlands High School (TWHS), Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported. 

According to the station, authorities charged Abdulbaaith Adewale with two charges of manufacture or delivery of controlled substance causing death or serious bodily injury.

Authorities allege Adewale provided 17-year-old Gregory Blodgett and 18-year-old Irene Sunderland with the drugs the teenagers fatally overdosed on.

Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson credited a new state law for the apprehension of Adewale, according to KRIV.

"This is an example of the recent law passed by the Texas Legislature that allows us to charge those who provide illegal narcotics that cause the death of our citizens," Henderson told the station. "Let this be a warning to those who sell illicit narcotics: Montgomery County Law Enforcement is committed to finding you and holding you accountable not only for the selling of illicit narcotics but for the deaths that occur."

KRIV reported that sheriff's deputies earlier this month were summoned to a residence in The Woodlands on a double overdose call.

According to the station, authorities identified the fatalities as Blodgett and Sunderland.

The pair were supposed to graduate with the TWHS Class of 2022 in a few weeks.

Toxicology results indicated a presence of fentanyl in the students' bodies, per KRIV.

Mandy Sunderland recalled to Houston NBC affiliate KPRC how she and her family fell in love with Irene the moment they adopted her from China.

KPRC reported that Irene, who was remembered by her mother as someone whom others easily had fun with, would've attended Drexel University in the fall.

Sunderland lamented that her daughter, who was a popular student at TWHS, grappled with drug addiction. She hopes Irene's passing would be a teachable moment for other parents and their children.

“It’s a difficult place to navigate but we need to have conversations and we need to make them feel like they can come to us,” Sunderland told the station.