Family blames kratom product for Menifee mother's death, files lawsuit

Family blames kratom product for Menifee mother's death, files lawsuit By Rob McMillan Wednesday, September 2, 2026 3:33AM A family has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer and retailer of a kratom product they believe caused the death of a 55-year-old Menifee mother. MENIFEE, Calif. (KABC) -- More than a year after Lauren Dominguez's mother died unexpectedly in her sleep at age 55, her family believes a kratom product was responsible for her death.

They've now filed a lawsuit against the product's manufacturer and retailer.

"I think my mom was like our last safe place since our dad passed away 11 years ago, unexpectedly, so when you lose your second parent, you just feel kind of alone," Dominguez told Eyewitness News.

Dominguez said her mother was found unresponsive at home.

"She looked so peaceful, just in her jammies. She had the fan on and the heater on, and she just was laying there," she said.

According to the coroner's report, the cause of death was acute mitragynine intoxication, with chronic alcohol use listed as a contributing factor. Mitragynine is one of the main chemicals found in products containing kratom.

"It makes me angry because people think it's safe and it's not," Dominguez said. "There's people that have posted on Instagram, and I've literally wrote them like don't take this. My mom died from it."

Attorney Michael Jeandron, who represents Dominguez and her family, said the lawsuit targets the manufacturer and retailer of a kratom product.

"Kratom is marketed as herbal, as natural, as a supplement, it comes from a plant," Jeandron said.

Jeandron alleged that consumers may be misled about the product's safety.

"The company's marketing it as safe and tested, and they provide results that say all of these kratom products are safe. The problem is that even a small dose of kratom can cause respiratory depression," he said.

According to the California Department of Public Health, taking kratom can lead to addiction, serious harm, overdose and death. The product is illegal to sell in California.

However, after an interview with Dominguez, the product was still being sold at Almond Smoke Shop in Menifee, where Dominguez said her mother purchased it.

"It is addictive, but they don't realize it's going to be addictive when it's sold on the shelf next to an energy drink and beef jerky at a gas station," Jeandron said. "They just think it's a supplement, it's natural, it must be safe."

Requests for comment were sent to the owner of Almond Smoke Shop in Menifee and to the manufacturer of the kratom product, known as Exotic Blue Magic. No responses had been received at the time of publication.

Dominguez said the loss of her mother has continued to affect her family.

"It's affected my kids because they think, will you go to sleep and not wake up? And before we knew what it was, we didn't know what had happened," she said.

She said she hopes the product will no longer be available for sale.

"I just hope that it's not sold anymore," Dominguez said. "It almost makes me angry."