Pair charged in Wauwatosa overdose death

Two men have been charged with supplying the heroin on which a 19-year-old Wauwatosa woman overdosed and died in April.

Alexandra Hopping was discovered dead April 18 at her home in the 1800 block of N. 70th St. Police used texts from her cell phone to track down her suspected suppliers.

Daniel Birtic, 23, of Waukesha and Edwin Esteves, 33, of Milwaukee each face a charge of first-degree reckless homicide by delivery of drugs.

Birtic had been charged September 30 with possessing heroin with intent to deliver, and two days later Esteves was charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver, as well as with being a felon in possession of a gun.

The homicide charges were filed separately on Tuesday.

According to the complaint, Hopping and Birtic exchanged 60 text messages the day before she died. Several referred to "flame," a street term for high grade heroin.

"I hope you don't od. It happens a lot with this stuff. And people always think it won't happen to them," Birtic writes.

Hopping responds that she'll test it and try half first.

Birtic helped Hopping buy heroin from Esteves, according to the complaint.