FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (WALA) – A 17-year-old Fort Walton Beach boy is charged with child murder in the death of a 16-year-old girl to whom he allegedly gave fentanyl.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested Sa Qualen Grant tonight for allegedly trafficking narcotics that led to the girl’s death earlier this year.

On Feb. 11, officers responded to a home on Miller Street in Fort Walton Beach where a teenager was found dead in the bedroom. During the subsequent investigation and a search of the scene, several pills were found that were later determined to be fentanyl, the OCSO said.

Sheriff’s officials said the victim and Grant arranged to meet at a public location, where the victim allegedly bought pills from Grant. Authorities said investigators also found surveillance camera footage that allegedly shows the hand-to-hand transaction.

During an interview with investigators, Grant denied knowing the victim, but his phone and video footage showed otherwise, the sheriff’s office said.

An autopsy and laboratory results revealed fentanyl poisoning as the girl’s cause of death, according to OCSO. Both fentanyl and norfentanyl – a metabolite of fentanyl – were found in the victim’s blood, authorities said.

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