GoFundMe/Facebook Dylan Hernandez was a 19-year-old student at San Diego State University.
Dylan Hernandez, a 19-year-old Florida native, has died a week after attending an event at a San Diego State University fraternity. SDSU has now suspended the California university’s Intrafraternity Council and its 14 member fraternities while Hernandez’s death is investigated.
“The San Diego State University Police Department (UPD) opened an investigation yesterday and has uncovered information which alleges that a fraternity was involved in possible misconduct. I am urging members of our campus community to please contact UPD as soon as possible if you have information about this case,” SDSU President Adela de la Torre said in a letter to the school community. “The university will keep the organizations under suspension while it considers next steps. Each of us, including our students, must uphold the highest standards that do not put the health and safety of anyone at risk. As I know there may be confusion or concern among members of our community, I urge students, faculty and staff who may need assistance during this difficult time to reach out for support.”
Hernandez, who grew up in Jacksonville, was a freshman at SDSU. He was hospitalized November 7 after attending a fraternity event on November 6, the university says. Hernandez, who was taken to the hospital after a 911 call to his residence hall, died on Friday, November 8, according to the San Diego County Department of Medical Examiner.
De La Torre said in a November 11 statement, “It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to say that Dylan Hernandez, the student who was hospitalized last week, has passed away. His family gave their goodbyes late Sunday night. The family has given the university permission today to share this information, and we are working to support them during this incredibly difficult time. As a mother, nothing can replace the profound loss of a child, and the devastating heartbreak the family and their loved ones are experiencing. All of us in the Aztec family are sending our prayers, and are here to support the family.”
The university created a website with information about memorial services and how students and other members of the community can receive counseling and other mental health help.
Here’s what you need to know about Dylan Hernandez and his tragic death:
Hernandez, Who Was Pledging to the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, Was Found ‘Pulseless & Apneic’ After Falling Out of Bed & Hitting His Head, Friends Say
Dylan Hernandez with his girlfriend and parents.
According to San Diego State University Police, “On the morning of Thursday, November 7, the San Diego State University Police Department (UPD) received a 911 phone call to respond to a student in need of medical attention at a residence hall located in the 6100 block of Montezuma Road. University Police officers quickly arrived to the location of the incident and provided appropriate aid. The student was then transported to a San Diego area hospital. UPD is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Although the investigation is preliminary, UPD is taking this matter very seriously.”
The Daily Aztec reports that Dylan Hernandez was found “pulseless” and not breathing by his roommate in their dorm room. His roommate then called 911 and Hernandez was rushed to Alvarado Hospital, where he was pronounced dead days later.
According to KGTV, “A close friend says that Hernandez fell off his bed Wednesday night and hit his head, suffering a head injury. His roommate contacted her after the fall, and she came over to help put him back into his bed. She didn’t know anything was wrong until the next morning, when she checked on Hernandez. She said his mouth was foaming, his lips were purple and his skin was yellowing. She performed CPR on him until emergency crews arrived.”
Dylan Hernandez.
University officials say Hernandez attended a fraternity event before falling out of bed, but have not said what fraternity hosted the event.
The student newspaper reports, “Hernandez, who lived on the sixth floor of the Tenochca residence hall, was a freshman pledge in the Phi Gamma Delta, or FIJI, fraternity, said someone who lived on the same floor and spoke on the condition on anonymity.”
Phi Gamma Delta was placed on probation in 2017 after being “found in violation of regulations pertaining to alcohol at off-campus fraternity events,” the Daily Aztec previously reported.
A GoFundMe Set Up by His Girlfriend Says He Was a ‘Light Hearted & Goofy Person Who Had So Much Love to Give to Everyone He Met
Dylan Hernandez with his girlfriend, Carly Bernardo.
Dylan Hernandez was studying at San Diego State University after graduating from Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida. A GoFundMe has been set up by his girlfriend, Carly Bernardo, to raise money for his family.
“Dylan was an outgoing, light hearted and goofy person who had so much love to give to everyone he met. He never failed to make everyone in the room smile and his laugh was infectious,” she wrote. “He was a first semester student at San Diego State University. This is being created to raise money to help to create memorials for family and friends as a way to grieve, and remember Dylan for all the lives he was able to touch.”
Dylan Hernandez and his sister.
Evelyn Piazza, whose son, Tim Piazza, died in 2017 while pledging a fraternity at Penn State University, wrote on Facebook, “My heart hurts for Dylan Hernandez’s family and friends. If he was hazed, this is a hazing death because the fraternity put him in that state that resulted in him falling out of bed and hitting his head. BUT all colleges should take note – any bunk or loft bed should have bed rails! This is not the first time a student has fallen out of bed and had a traumatic brain injury. This family now has to live without their son – when you send your child off to college you expect them to come home, he should have been able to come home to them. ?”
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