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Family of Teen Who Died at Rave File $5M Claim, Say Venue Knew Better
Sasha Rodriguez (Family photo)
The family of teenager Sasha Rodriguez have filed a $5 million claim against the management of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, alleging the venue's operators were negligent in permitting the Electric Daisy Carnival to happen on public property, according to the LA Times. The claim, filed on December 23, 2010, states that the Coliseum knew the event would attract not only illicit and illegal activity, but would also draw an underage crowd, and was allowed to take place regardless. Despite the promoter's website stipulating that attendees under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, Rodriguez, 15, went to the rave without her parents' knowledge and in the company of her friends, also teenagers.
Rodriguez collapsed amid the crowds at the rave-style event, and died at the hospital, where doctors determined the girl had taken ecstasy, and was suffering from severe dehydration that resulted in shock when her body was flooded with fluids. The Los Angeles County coroner ultimately ruled her death an ecstasy overdose.
The family's claim "is a necessary step before suing in court."
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