LOS ANGELES—AVN Hall of Fame performer Nacho Vidal was arrested in his native country of Spain last week in connection with the death of a fashion photographer, according to multiple media outlets in Europe.
According to El Espanol, Vidal, a relative of his and an employee have been charged with “reckless manslaughter” in the death of fashion photographer Jose Luis Abad.
Vidal has since been released on bail, the report said. He did not respond to a request for comment from AVN at post time.
Initially, Abad’s death in July 2019 at a home Vidal owns in Valencia, Spain was believed to have been accidental, El Espanol reported.
According to local media, Vidal and his associates were taken into custody after an investigation by the Játiva Judicial Police, which alleged that Vidal and his associates attempted to “detoxify" Abad of drugs by giving him a substance “obtained from the Bufo toad.”
These toads are capable of secreting a toxic, milk-like poison as a defense mechanism. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), also known as “God's molecule,” is present in the skin of the Bufo toad. In addition to being a hallucinogenic, the substance reportedly generates a state of anxiety and euphoria in those who inhale it. Amazon shamans link DMT with healing powers that can cure addictions or improve aspects of their lives, the report said.
Abad is said to have succumbed from the effects of the substance, El Espanol reported.
The judge leading the investigation withdrew Vidal and his associates’ passports, pending additional legal proceedings.
