UC Irvine fraternity member dies off-campus, cause of death unknown
A fraternity at the University of California - Irvine is on interim suspension after one of its youngest members died, officials said.
Noah Domingo, an initiated member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, died at an off-campus home on Saturday, the fraternity's national headquarters said.
The 18-year-old died at about 3:30 a.m. at a private residence in Irvine, the Orange County Coroner's Office told ABC News.
His "cause of death will be determined pending toxicology results after autopsy, which typically takes a few weeks," the coroner's office said.
Domingo, a freshman, wanted to study kinesiology and become an NBA trainer, his father, Dale Domingo, told ABC Los Angeles station KABC.
He had played football and basketball at Crescenta Valley High School, north of Los Angeles, the school said.
The grieving father told KABC it was "devastating" to clear out his son's dorm room.
"First thing I did was grab his pillow and pretty much just cry and weep a little bit," he said.
SAE was placed on interim suspension as the Irvine Police Department investigates and the university's Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct reviews the death, said Edgar Dormitorio, UC Irvine interim vice chancellor of student affairs.
Mike Sophir, the CEO of SAE, said headquarters suspended chapter operations during the review and has told its UC Irvine fraternity members "to fully cooperate with all investigative efforts."
"We are heartbroken by the death of our UCI brother, Noah Domingo,” Sophir said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and we appreciate the support the university and its staff have provided to students in this difficult time.”
Dormitorio said UC Irvine will also "examine the larger context in which this tragedy occurred" and work "with the Greek community to help ensure that they are engaging in behavior and practice that are in alignment with university policies and their own values."
Noah Domingo's funeral will be held Friday in Los Angeles, his high school basketball team said.
