A UC Irvine student died over the weekend, resulting in the suspension and investigation of the fraternity where he was a member, university officials said.
Freshman Noah Domingo, 18, died in a home off-campus early Saturday morning. The Orange County coroner’s office is conducting an autopsy and waiting for toxicology reports to determine his cause of death, said county sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun.
Domingo, who grew up in La Crescenta, followed his older sister to UC Irvine in the fall and chose to major in biology and join Greek life, just like she had, said their father, Dale Domingo. He said his son, his youngest child, wanted to work in sports medicine for a basketball team.
“Unfortunately now, those are just dreams,” said Domingo, who was driving Monday to UC Irvine to pick up his son’s belongings from his dorm room. “He’s probably one of the sweetest kids, one of the nicest kids — willing to help out with anything.”
UC Irvine officials said they could not release details about the death because of the ongoing investigation. But Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was suspended and ordered to immediately cease all activity, according to UC Irvine student affairs Vice Chancellor Edgar J. Dormitorio.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the same fraternity Cal Poly freshman Carson Starkey was pledging in December 2008 when he died from acute alcohol poisoning in a hazing ritual. The fraternity has been disaffiliated from Cal Poly, and the loss of their son led Scott and Julia Starkey to form Aware Awake Alive, a national awareness group whose mission is to prevent similar tragedies on other college campuses.
In an email to the campus community Monday, Dormitorio wrote that campus officials would work with the Greek community to help support those affected by the death.
“We will also closely examine the larger context in which this tragedy occurred and will be working with the Greek community to help ensure that they are engaging in behaviors and practices that are in alignment with university policies and their own values,” he wrote.
Dale Domingo, 47, said officials had not told him how his son died. He received a call Saturday morning asking him to drive to the campus, where he saw police officers and what appeared to be a crime scene.
“I knew already. I knew my son was gone,” he said.
Noah Domingo played basketball and football at Crescenta Valley High School, where he graduated in the spring. His father said many students and their parents have told him how polite and sweet his son was.
“He may be small in stature, but he made an impact,” he said.
Brianna Domingo, 20, said that she helped her younger brother adjust to life at UC Irvine, where he sometimes struggled to manage his schoolwork with the demands of his fraternity. Domingo, who had a boyish smile and slicked-back black hair, was just one year behind his sister in school.
She said that even last week, the first week of the second quarter of classes, her brother was studying hard to get ahead in his schoolwork.
Last week was also his fraternity’s winter rush week, with activities scheduled throughout the week and ending with an invite-only event Friday night, according to a Facebook events page created by the fraternity’s UCI chapter. Domingo marked on Facebook that he was interested in the event.
“We, Sigma Alpha Epsilon take pride in being the most selective fraternity at UC Irvine,” the event page reads. “Each year, hundreds of young men rush the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity but bids of membership are reserved for only the most respectable and talented individuals on campus.”
Dale Domingo said he did not want to speculate about what caused his son’s death, but he was worried about what could be happening at universities that needs to be changed.
“As a family, we’re hurting, but we’re also concerned — could it have been prevented? Is there something we, as a family, can do to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again?”
On Friday night, Domingo had been at a party at the house of a fraternity brother, said Ryan Lee, also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Lee, 19, left the party early, but Domingo stayed behind.
“He ended up drinking too much, I think,” Lee said.
Lee and Domingo met during the first quarter of college when Domingo rushed the fraternity. Sharing an interest in basketball and video games, they became quick friends and planned to live together in the coming school year, Lee said.
“He was just good at everything. He was very smart, athletic,” the sophomore said.
Lee said that members of the Greek community were gathering Monday night to share stories and memories of Domingo. His fraternity’s suspension, Lee said, was secondary to the tragic news about his close buddy.
“I’m not worried about all this fraternity stuff,” he said. “That’s how I feel, and I think that’s how a lot of other people feel too.”
Mike Sophir, chief executive officer of the national chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said the organization “was heartbroken by the death of our UCI brother.”
“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,” Sophir said in a statement.