This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Erica Alonso, a 27-year-old woman who was found dead months after she vanished following a Valentine's date, was determined to have overdosed on alcohol and GHB. Orange County Sheriff’s Department's Lt. Jeff Hallock said that while investigators don't think Alonso's death was a homicide, "we're not in a position to say for sure it's an accident," City News Service reports. The autopsy showed that Alonso had a blood alcohol content of .22 and GHB in her system, but no signs of violence on her body. GHB can cause breathing problems when mixed with alcohol.
Erica Alonso, a 27-year-old Laguna Hills woman, disappeared after going a Valentine's date with her on-again, off-again boyfriend. The pair had gone to a nightclub in Costa Mesa where they met another couple who agreed to give Alonso and her date a ride back to his place in Irvine. There, Alonso and her date got in a fight, prompting the other couple to take off. Soon after, Alonso also left and disappeared. In March, Alonso's Honda Civic was located by detectives in Alisa Viejo, about a mile from Alonso's home. On April 27, Alonso's body was discovered by a group of Caltrans biologists working in the Cleveland National Forest off the Ortega Highway near Mission Viejo. Hallock said the investigation is ongoing, and that they still don't know how Alonso's body ended up off the Ortega Highway.
