The woman allegedly sold drugs to Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, sources said.
July 14, 2023, 4:59 AM
A 20-year-old woman was arrested in New York City on Thursday night in a drug dealing investigation linked to the death of Robert De Niro’s grandson, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Sofia Haley Marks was taken into custody on federal drug distribution charges and is expected to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Friday, according to the sources.
Marks is allegedly known on the streets as the “Percocet Princess” and is believed to have sold drugs to 19-year-old Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, the sources said.
The arrest is part of an ongoing probe by the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Actor Robert De Niro, left, and his daughter, Drena De Niro, appear at the 20th annual Hollywood Film Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Nov. 6, 2016.
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File
Detectives have been investigating De Niro-Rodriguez’s July 2 death in Lower Manhattan as a possible drug overdose, though an official cause of death has not yet been determined.
De Niro-Rodriguez’s mother, Drena De Niro, broke the news of her son’s passing in an Instagram post on July 3, but didn’t offer details on how he died.
Drena De Niro was adopted by Robert De Niro when he was married to Diahnne Abbott, the actor’s first wife. Drena De Niro is Abbott’s daughter from a previous relationship.
De Niro-Rodriguez was also an actor, appearing alongside his mother in the 2018 films “A Star Is Born” and “Cabaret Maxime.”
ABC News’ Carson Blackwelder and Stephen Iervolino contributed to this report.