Police have arrested five people in connection with the sale and distribution of “spice,” part of a crackdown on the synthetic drug that has been linked to several overdoses among homeless people in skid row, authorities said Thursday. After the arrests, investigators raided a South L.A. building that was believed to be the manufacturing site of the spice before it hit skid row, police said. There, police found cash, controlled substances and chemical ingredients used in the process of manufacturing spice. Days later, 14 people were sent to the hospital, their symptoms also thought to be linked to spice. The April incident led to the arrest of a skid row drug kingpin at his Cerritos home along with 15 others as part of an early-morning sweep targeting downtown's infamous drug market.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 02, 2016 01:30 UTC