No charges will be filed in death of UNLV student after charity boxing match
No charges will be filed in the death of a college student who died after a fraternity charity boxing match, Las Vegas police said.
Nathan Valencia, 20, a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, died Nov. 23, four days after he participated in Kappa Sigma’s "Fight Night" event.
The Clark County coroner confirmed Tuesday that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and classified the death as a homicide.
Las Vegas police said that the term means a person was killed by another person and that detectives evaluate the facts of each case.
"Although Mr. Valencia’s death is tragic, the circumstances surrounding his death are not criminal, and no charges will be filed," the police department said Tuesday.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission, which said it is investigating the match, said it "takes this tragedy seriously."
The Nov. 19 boxing match raised money for Center Ring Boxing, a youth club, Kappa Sigma said in an Instagram post. The fraternity said Valencia's match was the "main event."
The match was off-campus, university President Keith E. Whitfield said.
"Soon after his fight, Nathan collapsed and was taken to a hospital. We are shocked and heartbroken as we mourn the loss of one of our own," Whitfield said in a statement.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and loved ones. I am sure words cannot describe their feeling of grief and emptiness, he said. "They are in our thoughts during this very difficult time."
Valencia was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, according to a verified GoFundMe page. The group remembered him in an Instagram post, saying Valencia "showed us nothing but love and will continue to do so from up above."
"Our hearts are heavy as Heaven gained an angel yesterday," Sigma Alpha Epsilon wrote. "His strength and kindness never went unseen, and we were so thankful to have him as a brother. Please pray for his family and be thankful for the ones around you. May his soul rest easy."
Valencia's family said they are "heartbroken" and are demanding answers.
"Our preliminary investigation reveals mistakes were made and safety precautions overlooked. We will be completing a full investigation to determine how UNLV and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity could allow and promote an event like this to take place," the family said in a statement through their attorneys. "College students should not be placed in a situation where they are pitted against each other for combat."
The family's attorneys said they "will leave no stone unturned to determine how a 20 year old ended up in a school-sanctioned amateur fight that cost him his life."
