UCLA student found dead in dorm hanging

Thursday, April 11, 1996

Dykstra resident’s apparent suicide under investigationBy John
Digrado

and Brooke Olson

Daily Bruin Staff

University police and fire department officers are conducting an
investigation into the Wednesday afternoon death of a UCLA student
at Dykstra Hall.

The student was declared dead on the scene by investigators
after allegedly hanging himself with a belt in his dorm room.

University police officials said that they responded to a call
made by a fellow Dykstra Hall resident at about 2:50 p.m. Wednesday
regarding the student’s death. The time of death was 2:58 p.m, said
Lt. Fred Corral, a member of the L.A. County Coroner’s
investigation team.

Although an autopsy is being conducted today, Corral said the
death "appears to be a suicide by hanging."

"This is a preliminary investigation, and we don’t find final
cause of death until the coroner" makes their report, said
university police Capt. Alan Cueba. "(The coroner) will make the
final determination on cause of death, and based on that, we will
make our investigation."

Cueba said that investigators found two different notes at the
scene. "(They found) a goodbye note to his mom and dad, and they
also found a suicide note on the computer titled ‘Death.’"

Police officials have notified the student’s mother about the
death. Resident directors informed the victim’s floormates of the
situation as they returned from campus, notifying them in the floor
study lounge.

Student Psychological Services counselors were on hand to
discuss, listen and aid students in dealing with the victim’s
death.

Dykstra Hall Resident Director Gerald Lamb refused to comment on
the situation.

In the follow-up investigation, detectives will be searching for
clues that do not suggest suicide, Cueba said, however
unlikely.

"They want to obviously make a determination on whether or not
this was a suicide," he said. "Right now, all the evidence points
toward a suicide, but the detectives are keeping an open mind and
need more information before they can determine" the actual cause
of death, Cueba added.

"This is a preliminary investigation … (the coroner) will make
the final determination."

Alan Cueba

University Police Captain