Alexis E. Garcia, 15, Alcohol-Related Death

Alexis Garcia was  a sophomore at Easthampton High School and a  member of the school's volleyball team,

On Friday, February 2, 2007 , 15-year-old Alexis  left school at 2 p.m. and went to  went to a friend's house.  The friend's father, Timothy E. Parent, gave them access to a 1.75 liter bottle of vodka.  Alexis and her friend transferred  20 ounces of vodka  to a bottle, and went to Garcia's home,  where the two consumed the entire amount.

At 4:40 p.m. that day, Feb. 2, her 15- year-old friend called for help after finding Alexis unconscious and face down in a bathtub three-quarters full of water. Efforts to resuscitate Alexis failed, and she was pronounced dead shortly before 9 p.m. at Holyoke Medical Center.

Yesterday, Police Chief Bruce W. McMahon said at a press conference that the police investigation showed that Parent provided his daughter with a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka (approximately a half gallon), part of which she poured into the 20-ounce bottle that she and Alexis shared.

When police and emergency crews arrived at Alexis' home, where the two girls had been alone, the 20-ounce bottle was empty, and the original bottle remained at Parent's home, McMahon said.

"Both had been consuming several shots of vodka over a relatively short period of time - we believe it was under one hour," McMahon said.

The two girls lived within walking distance of each other, McMahon said. Monska Drive is in the Plains section of the city.

It is unclear how much each girl drank, McMahon said. Alexis, who was 4 feet, 10 inches tall and a member of Easthampton High School's volleyball team, left the room to take a shower and her friend eventually found her in the bathtub, McMahon said.

The autopsy of Alexis showed that her bodily fluids had blood alcohol levels of between .28 and .33, more than three times the legal limit of intoxication in this state of .08, McMahon said.

"According to the medical examiner's report, Ms. Garcia was not responsible for her own death. There were no other drugs or narcotics in her system, only the high level of alcohol," McMahon said.

Medical Examiner Dr. Loren J. Mednick has ruled that her death was caused by drowning due to submersion and acute alcohol poisoning.

Police could not provide details about why the alcohol was provided.

There were seven months between Alexis' death and when Parent was charged because of the "many hours of tedious work by the investigation team," as well as investigation and consultation with experts by the district attorney's office, McMahon said.

Both McMahon and Deputy First Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Dunphy Farris said they believe this is the first time in Massachusetts that someone has been charged in connection with a minor's death through procuring alcohol without a motor vehicle accident happening.

The investigation is continuing and Parent's daughter is expected to be charged, but McMahon declined to say what those charges will be.

"We feel this was a tragic event especially for the family of Alexis Garcia, but also for the school community as well as the residents of Easthampton. We want to make it very clear that our department and the District Attorney's office will not tolerate anyone procuring alcohol for minors and will prosecute each case to the fullest extent of the law," McMahon said.

The involuntary manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in state prison, calls for the commonwealth to prove that an unintentional killing happened as a result of an act which the defendant knew or should have known created a high likelihood that substantial harm could result, according to state law.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing, the heartbeat and the gag reflex that prevents choking. A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops drinking, the heart keeps beating, and the alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the system. The victim may experience the following:

• Mental confusion, stupor, coma, unable to rouse the person
• No response to pinching the skin
• Vomiting while sleeping or unresponsive
• Seizures
• Slowed breathing  (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
• Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

Alcohol Poisoning Requires Immediate Medical Attention

Alcohol Poisoning Cannot Be Reversed By:

• Drinking black coffee
• Taking a cold bath or shower
• Walking it off

The victim must have immediate medical attention.
Call 911, stay with the victim to prevent him choking on vomit, and tell emergency personnel how much alcohol the victim drank.

These Children Died of Alcohol Overdose, So Their Parents Started Foundations:

Taylor Webster's memorial foundation.  Taylor died of alcohol  poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working  to get the message out, telling their stories and providing  information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms  of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.

Bradley McCue's memorial foundation.  On November 5, 1998  Bradley turned 21. . He celebrated  his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his  age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died  that night of alcohol poisoning.

Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy."  The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.

Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation.   The mission of the Gordie Foundation is to provide today’s youth with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, and through education and promotion of self worth prevent alcohol poisoning, binge drinking and hazing.

Comments

[DAN WINCHELL]

hi my name is daniel winchell and i was friends with alexis garcia. i was shocked when i found out what happened. so shocked that i didnt even cry until days later. i remeber her so well and still miss her even almost two years later. there is one thing about me though and that is i will always rember her, and watch out better for friends to prevent this shit from happening again. a lot of her good friends less than a half a year after she passed started to party again with no concern. this broke my heart. too see kids not even old enough to drive be partying this crazym and nothing will stop them not even if their good friend dies over it. i hate to say it but all she is now is a statistic that one one realy likes to lisson to. my heart goes out to her family that will never forget that horrable day. it is not their falt, and i hope they realize this. things happen in life that can not be explained. i just want to let you guys know that i have bot and will not forget about lexis and the horible tragidy that could have ben prevented that day. one last thing that i will leave you with. the last time i looked at her myspace page i looked at a picture of her and her father. he posted "if teirs could build a stairway to heaven i would climb them and bring you back home" this made me unspeakable and words that cant describe how sorry i felt for her family. just remember people, help your friends stay out of trouble and lnow when enough is enough. stand up for yourselves. this does not need to happen again

[alexis garcia]

hey thats my name and yes im a boy