The 19-year-old actor was following in his grandfather’s footsteps, making a name for himself in Hollywood, before he died on July 2.
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The suspect sold Rodriguez drugs before he was found dead inside a New York City apartment, the New York Post reported.
The Post previously reported that a white, powdery substance and drug paraphernalia were discovered near the teen’s body.
Leandro’s mother Drena De Niro said that her son died after being sold pills laced with fentanyl.
“Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” Drena wrote on Instagram.
The medical examiner’s office has yet to release his official cause of death.
Leandro was breaking into Hollywood and had starred in three projects that also featured his mother before the tragedy.
The duo played mother and son while working alongside Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and Dave Chappelle in A Star is Born.
Leandro also starred in 2005’s The Collection and 2018’s Cabaret Maxime.
The young star was the son of De Niro’s adopted daughter Drena, 51, and artist Carlos Rodriguez.
Drena took the Goodfellas actor’s surname after he married her mother, Diahnne Abbott, in 1976.
Drena remembered her son as her “darling boy” in a heartbreaking Instagram post.
It was accompanied by a sweet family snap that showed Leandro, Drena, and Robert all smiling together with the caption: “I wish that love alone could have saved you.”
Her tribute continued: “My beautiful sweet angel, I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly.
“You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life.
“I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don’t know how to live without you but I’ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama.
“You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you.
“Rest in peace and eternal paradise my darling boy.”
Robert De Niro released a statement saying: “I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo.
“We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the NYPD for more information on the reported arrest.