A 51-year-old Cloquet man was arrested Thursday and is expected to be formally charged with third-degree murder, according to Carlton County Sheriff Kelly Lake. The man is currently in custody at the Carlton County Jail awaiting arraignment.
The charges stem from allegations that the man provided a Fentanyl patch to Paul Duane Mrosla, 25, who died the evening of January 15, 2014.
On Jan. 14, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Carlton County 911 received a call from Nancy Mrosla, who lives in the 600 block of Third Street in Carlton, who reported that there was a 25-year-old male unconscious, possibly suffering from a drug overdose. Carlton County Sheriff’s deputies, Carlton Ambulance and the Cloquet Area Fire District responded to the address and administered medical care to Mrosla, but attempts were unsuccessful. Mrosla was pronounced dead at the scene.
After a lengthy investigation involving multiple witnesses and medical experts, it was determined that Mrosla had died from an overdose as a result of ingesting the Fentanyl. The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the investigation by the Cloquet Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A warrant was issued for the Cloquet man's arrest on Thursday, Sept. 4, and he was taken into custody in the city of Cloquet without incident.
