Story by Ethan
On August 25th, 2025, the arrest of Gaston Navarro, age 40, was announced by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. Gaston Navarro was charged with first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death of another, and third-degree distribution of Fentanyl. The arrest and charges against Gaston Navarro were a result of an investigation launched by Chief Matthew Finck of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and Chief Joseph Delaney of the Garfield Police Department.
According to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, at approximately 6:43 p.m. on April 24th, 2025, officers from the Garfield Police Department responded to a medical emergency taking place at a private residence. The victim was identified as a 41-year old male and was announced dead at the scene after being found unresponsive. The Bergen County Narcotics Task Force was notified that there were signs of a potential overdose. A joint investigation was launched by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Garfield Police Department to look into both the death of the victim and the drug activity. Detectives allege that Gaston Navarro was responsible for injecting a lethal dose of fentanyl into the victim.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Gaston Navarro are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
