Riverview man arrested on murder charges in Brandon couple’s fatal overdose

Hillsborough deputies have arrested a Riverview man in connection to the deaths of a Brandon husband and wife who overdosed on fentanyl earlier this year, records show.

Deputies on Thursday arrested Darrell Reshad Turner III, 23, on two counts of first degree murder that resulted from the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance in the deaths of Ivan Perez, 48, and his wife Theodolinda, 53.

According to a motion for pretrial detention and search warrant affidavits filed in the case, deputies responded on Feb. 18 to a double fatal overdose call at the couple’s home on Lake Lucerne Way, in the Lucerne on Lake Brandon apartment complex.

Investigators found Theodolinda Perez’s purse next to her body in the apartment’s living room. Inside the purse, investigators found a pill bottle containing about a half-gram of fentanyl.

Detectives searched Ivan Perez’s cell phone and saw that a drug transaction for $40 worth of fentanyl happened on Feb. 17 about 2:48 p.m. with someone whose number was not saved in his phone, records state. Theodolinda Perez sent two CashApp transactions totaling $40 to an account that belonged to Turner, records state.

On Feb. 20, detectives used Theodolinda or Ivan’s cell phone — it’s unclear which — to arrange another fentanyl sale with Turner. He showed up to the predetermined sale location and tried to flee when he saw deputies but was taken into custody on charges of delivery and possession of a controlled substances and resisting law enforcement without violence. He had in his possession the cell phone that was used to communicate with deputies to arrange the sale, records state.

Records show Turner was released on Feb. 23 after posting $4,000 bail.

After the Hillsborough Medical Examiner confirmed the Perezes both died of fentanyl overdose, detectives obtained a warrant for Turner’s arrest on July 9. He was being held Friday without bond.

Prosecutors have filed a motion seeking to keep Turner in jail pending the resolution of his case. A hearing on the motion has not been set.