VANCOUVER -- A youth from Port Coquitlam has been sentenced in the 2017 overdose death of a 13-year-old girl.

New Westminster police say the youth, who can't legally be named because of his age, pleaded guilty in 2018 to one count of trafficking a controlled substance and has now been sentenced to four months of open custody, two months of community supervision and 18 months of intensive support and supervision.

"Essentially, he was sentenced to two months in youth detention, followed by community supervision and intensive support and supervision," said Sgt. Jeff Scott with the New Westminster Police Department in a news release.

"We continue to work closely with our community partners to help educate teenagers about the risk of drug use, and to provide assistance to parents and guardians as they navigate the challenges and complexities of supporting their teenagers."

On July 15, 2017, two teens purchased MDMA from a street-level drug dealer at the 22nd Street SkyTrain station, NWPD officers say.

They returned to their house in Port Coquitlam, where the 13-year-old girl went into medical distress and later died in hospital. A toxicology report revealed she had died of a lethal dose of MDMA. 

The NWPD says the lengthy investigation involved teams from Coquitlam RCMP, transit police and Vancouver police.