An 18-year-old Cal State Fullerton student died at an off-campus home over the weekend, and authorities believe alcohol played a role in his death after he attended an event at a fraternity unaffiliated with the school.
Police responded to Providence St. Jude Medical Center just after midnight on Sunday, Sept. 13, where Anthony Blas of Whittier was dropped off at the emergency department, according to Fullerton police. Blas was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Fullerton police do not believe hazing played a part, but they say alcohol appeared to be involved.
“Based on the preliminary investigation … it does not consider hazing to be a factor at this time,” Fullerton police Sgt. Ryan O’Neil said. “It’s an active and ongoing investigation, so it’s not like it’s wrapped up with a bow. Things could change as the investigation continues.”
Before his death, police said Blas attended “a function at an unaffiliated fraternity” in the area of Associated Road and Milton Avenue. An unaffiliated fraternity is one not recognized by the university. Police wouldn’t specify the nature of the fraternity function or how many people were there.
There was no evidence of foul play, police said. The Orange County coroner is investigating Blas’ cause of death.
University officials on Tuesday confirmed the student died at an off-campus home and said counseling services would be provided for anyone who needed them. CSUF referred any other questions to police.
People were sharing videos of parties at the location of the frat house, which had started deleting posts from their social media accounts on Tuesday.
In May 2025, Simon Daniel, an 18-year-old Cal State Fullerton student, drowned in Lake Havasu while vacationing with fellow members of the Sigma Pi fraternity. Daniel, along with three fraternity brothers and two sorority sisters, got in the river near Copper Canyon despite hazardous conditions. Several members went in to save the students, but Daniel was swept away by a wave and did not resurface.
In 2019, the parents of 19-year-old Bea Angelika Macabasco Castro filed a wrongful death lawsuit against CSUF, saying that a night of sorority hazing where she was forced to consume “large amounts of alcohol” led to her death. Castro was later found unresponsive at a private home in Garden Grove, hospitalized and pronounced dead from “acute ethanol intoxication,” the lawsuit said.
Earlier that year, five members of a UC Irvine fraternity faced misdemeanor charges after 18-year-old Noah Domingo died from alcohol poisoning after a night of hazing.