Three men deliver friend’s body to hospital

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- Three young men arrived at Hoag Hospital Sunday night

with the body of a friend and a story that didn’t jive with authorities.

Police said 19-year-old Richard Talamontes had been dead for at least 10

hours by the time friends brought his corpse to the hospital in the bed

of his own truck.

Talamontes died of an apparent drug overdose, said Sgt. Mike McDermott of

the Newport Beach Police Department, noting that he had been inhaling

nitrous oxide and had possibly used cocaine and/or methamphetamines as

well.

The three Laytonville, Calif. residents initially told doctors and police

that upon returning from a trip to Mexico, they found Talamontes dead in

his truck at Newport Harbor High School, where they had planned to meet

him.

After further discussions with the three men, police uncovered the real

story, McDermott said.

All four men had been staying at a David Street residence in Newport

Shores. The owner of the home was out of town at the time, but was aware

the men were staying there, police said.

“These guys had been partying and decided they wanted to go to Mexico,”

McDermott said. “Talamontes stayed behind. When they got back, they found

him dead on the couch.”

The three men told police that after finding Talamontes’ body, they

called the owner of the Newport Shores home, who told them to get the

body out of his house.

It was then that they brought the body to the hospital with the story

about finding him in his truck, McDermott said.

Although no charges have been brought against the Laytonville trio,

McDermott said, police are considering they be charged with misdemeanors.

“The district attorney may still charge them with destruction of evidence

and there are some health and safety code issues,” McDermott said.