REEDLEY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office has announced they do not suspect foul play in the death of 18-year-old Reedley College student Derek Burton.
IDENTIFIED: Reedley College student who died after drinking ‘large amounts of alcohol’
At this point, they believe the death of the young man was an accident, and that alcohol is suspected to have played a role.
“At this point, we don’t expect any foul play. Burton didn’t have any trauma. There were no other types of drugs involved. This appears to be strictly alcohol-related,” said Fresno County Sheriff’s Office PIO Tony Botti.
Botti says deputies from FCSO were contacted by officers with the State Center Community Colledge District Police Department around 2:30 a.m. Saturday , with a request to take over a death investigation at the school.
“What we had learned is there was an 18-year-old student by the name of Derek Burton. He had been drinking heavily that night in one of the dorm rooms with some friends. At one point, he became unresponsive so his friends called for help,” said Botti.