Topline:
Two people who were found dead in a homeless camp by a family member who said she saw her mother being eaten by dogs died of an accidental overdose, according to the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The details: The medical examiner determined that Lucrecia Macias Barajas, 46, and Fredy Pojoy Sajqui, 39, died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The backstory: Macias Barajas’ daughter, Ariana Macias, found Macias Barajas and Fredy Pojoy Sajqui dead in an encampment in Westlake on May 12. The daughter said the two were friends and that her mother had gone to visit Sajqui and had not returned. The daughter discovered the deaths when she went looking for her mother and said she saw dogs eating her mother’s dead body inside a tent.
Response from councilmember: Family members told LAist they hold government officials responsible for not clearing encampments like the one where the deaths occurred. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez’s office previously told LAist they had tried to help Macias Barajas in the past and got her into temporary housing in 2023. “This devastating loss underscores why we need real investments in harm reduction, housing-first policies and wraparound services that center dignity, public health and long-term stability,” Hernandez’s office told LAist in a statement.
More from the medical examiner: A paramedic pronounced Macias Barajas and Sajqui dead at 7:30 p.m. on May 12, according to a statement from the medical examiner’s office released Wednesday. It notes that a deputy medical examiner “observed evidence of animal activity to Ms. Macias Barajas, noting it occurred after death.”
Further reading: Family found mother’s dead body eaten by dogs at LA homeless encampment. They’re demanding answers