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17-year-old Salvador Preciado was a star athlete at Panorama High School, and had been at a party with friends Friday night in the Van Nuys area. Preciado has his mother's permission to be at the party, according to CBS2, but he did not have her permission to drink. By the next morning, Preciado was dead, possibly after choking on his own vomit after binge drinking.
While an autopsy is pending, authorities are looking into the teen's death as being caused by "toxic poisoning from alcohol." Additionally, friend who saw the high schooler at the party "said Preciado was so inebriated he fell off a table and hit his head."
Some friends helped Preciado out of the party, and got him to a buddy's house, where he could sleep it off. His mother, Irma Guevara, tried contacting her son in the morning, but he didn't answer his cellphone. She learned where friends had taken Preciado, but when she went to get him out of the back bedroom, he was unresponsive.
Guevara told the reporter: “I am like ‘Sal.. wake up it’s me.’ I take a blanket off him. When I uncover him, his body was all purple.”
She also remarked that there had been numerous Facebook posts touting how much alcohol was being consumed at the party. Guevara believes if the party-goers had called an ambulance, or called her when Preciado appeared dangerously intoxicated, her son could have been saved. He was going to turn 18 in just a few days.
One teen reportedly said Friday's party was part of an early birthday celebration for Preciado. However, "Salvador's family says they have heard a lot of versions of what went on at that party, and they are desperate to find out what really happened to him," notes L.A. Now.
A memorial of candles, flowers, and photos sprung up at Panorama High. Grief counselors are being made available to students there today, too.
The cause of death ruling could be released today.
