MATTAWA, WA – A Mattawa woman has been arrested and is facing charges related to the June 2024 drug-related death of her 16-year-old daughter.
Ashley Perin Sandoval, 40, was taken into custody on April 14 by the Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET). She was arrested on several warrants from Grant County, other counties, and out of state.
Her daughter, Ahna Sandoval, was found unconscious and not breathing in her bedroom at their rural Mattawa residence on June 4, 2024. Emergency medical personnel from Grant County Fire District 8 responded to the call around noon and later pronounced her deceased. Deputies and INET were called to the scene. An autopsy later determined the cause of death was the acute effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Following months of investigation, authorities say evidence including text messages and videos revealed a pattern of behavior by Ashley Sandoval. She is accused of providing or facilitating access to controlled substances and leaving drugs within reach of her daughter. Investigators also allege she involved Ahna in at least one drug transaction.
In addition to her outstanding warrants, Sandoval is being held in the Grant County Jail on suspicion of controlled substance homicide, distribution of drugs to a minor, involving a minor in a drug transaction, and endangerment with a controlled substance.
INET received assistance in the investigation from the Washington Army National Guard counterdrug program, the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, and Grant County corrections deputies.
According to INET, there have been 13 suspected overdose-related deaths in Grant County so far in 2024, compared to eight in 2023. The team is continuing to investigate several suspected controlled substance homicides across the county.