SLO man injured in Halloween roughhousing incident is out of a coma
The 21-year-old San Luis Obispo man who suffered a head injury Oct. 28 after some playful roughhousing is recovering, and he is no longer in a medically induced coma.
Mathew Papaleo’s condition has been upgraded from critical to fair and he is out of the Intensive Care Unit, according to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center spokesman Ron Yukelson. He had been in a medically induced coma while recovering from two brain surgeries. He remains hospitalized there.
Papaleo’s friends rushed him to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center after he sustained his injury.
On Oct. 28, Papaleo went to a Halloween costume party at Tap It Brewing Co. with friends.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what occurred the night when Papaleo was injured, according to spokesman Tony Cipolla.
Two of three witnesses who spoke with the Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred on the grounds of Tap It Brewing, while a third said it occurred down the street, Cipolla said. All three witnesses gave different versions of the incident, although each of the three indicated it was playful in nature.
To help Papaleo’s family in Fresno pay the medical bills, his roommates have set up a GoFundMe page. To contribute, go to www.gofundme.com/mathew-mateo-papaleo.
Nick Wilson: 805-781-7922, @NickWilsonTrib
This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 5:08 PM with the headline "SLO man injured in Halloween roughhousing incident is out of a coma."