An Ingleside man charged with drug-induced homicide in the death of a 21-year-old woman is scheduled for arraignment April 16, following his indictment last week by a Lake County Grand Jury.
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Jacob Mazzuca, 21, was arrested in February and charged in connection with the death of Cristina Villasana of Spring Grove on Nov. 11.
Last week, a Grand Jury indicted him on one count each of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony. He was remanded to the Lake County Jail after his arrest and remained there Thursday with bail set at $250,000.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Mazzuca provided a controlled substance known as “SASS” to Villasana, who ingested it and later died at Vista East Hospital in Waukegan. SASS is a form of ecstasy, officials said.
Villasana was admitted to the Vista Emergency Center in Lindenhurst at about 2 a.m. Nov. 11 and then transferred to Vista East Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 7:52 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.
According to reports, sheriff’s investigators were notified of the incident by the Round Lake Heights Police Department at 6:15 p.m. Nov. 11, and immediately began witness interviews.
As a result of those interviews, it is believed that at around 10:30 p.m. the night before, Villasana ingested the SASS, a form of MDMA or ecstasy made from the sassafras plant, sheriff’s officials said.
Mazzuca is being represented by defense attorney Gregory Nikitas.
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