A Texas high school football player died after falling from a roof during a wild, boozy house party over the weekend, fueled by underage drinking.
Adán de la Cruz III, 17, died in a hospital four days after slipping off a roof during a party in McAllen early Saturday and striking his head and neck on the concrete patio below, according to reports and the school district.
The McAllen Police Department said one adult and two minors were arrested and charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor. Reported by KRGV.
De la Cruz, a senior at Nikki Rowe High School, was standing on the roof of a gazebo with a friend during the early morning commotion, as dozens of young people looked on.
In shocking footage of the fall shared on social media, De la Cruz’s friend jumped from the roof into the pool below and appeared to be preparing to follow suit, but then he lost his footing and fell to the ground.
He landed on the concrete below his head and neck and “did not appear to move” after hitting the pavement, according to the police report.
Police and paramedics were called at 2.09am to the house party, which had been advertised on social media and charged an admission fee. The Monitor reported..
According to a police report obtained by local media, the girl led arriving officers to De La Cruz, who was found unconscious and lying on his back with a pool of blood under his head.
One of the teens was holding down the victim’s head while the other attempted chest compressions, according to the report.
Officers took over life-saving measures before an ambulance arrived and rushed the student to hospital.
De la Cruz, who had alcohol in his system, died from his injuries at a hospital on Wednesday.
A 51-year-old McAllen man, his teenage son and another teenage boy were determined to be the organizers and planners of the party and were arrested.
Jaime de la Cerda Islas, whose brother-in-law owned the house, was jailed on $30,000 bail but was released the next day.
The juveniles created digital flyers advertising the party at the location and shared the flyers on social media, attaching their own Instagram accounts as the organizers. According to the police report, the organizers charged $10 in advance for admission (paid into the CashApp account of one of the arrested juveniles) and $15 for admission at the door.
Once inside the party venue, attendees were reportedly able to consume unlimited amounts of alcoholic beverages that were already available at the venue.
When officers arrived at the scene of the disturbance on De La Cruz, they observed multiple teens running to their vehicles and quickly fleeing the party, with cars full of red Solo cups and open Michelob Ultra beers littered throughout the property, according to the report.
When they arrived, the disco ball lights were on and music was still playing over the screams from the backyard.
The Nikki Rowe High School student council is planning a memorial candlelight ceremony for De La Cruz on Friday.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the news that one of our students has passed away,” the McAllen Independent School District said in a news release.
“He was a fine young man, well-liked and hugely respected by his peers. He will be missed but never forgotten.”
