UC Irvine student found dead on campus, no foul play suspected, officials say

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Authorities are investigating the death of a UC Irvine student whose body was found on campus Sunday afternoon, according to officials.

The Orange County Coroner found Amir Eftekhar, 18, dead around 2 p.m., a coroner’s office spokesperson said. Authorities released very few details about where and how he was found.

Student residents of the Mesa Court dorm received an email Sunday announcing a dorm resident’s death, according to a copy of the email a student shared with The Times. Eftekhar was a sophomore majoring in math, UC Irvine spokesperson Tom Vasich said.

Speculation has arisen on social media that the death was related to the recent heat wave that has pushed temperatures to record levels in the past few days. Vasich sought to dispel those rumors.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of a member of our student community,” Vasich wrote in an email. “Information circulating that the student’s death was heat-related is incorrect, and there are no indications of any suspicious activity related to the student’s passing.”

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Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. He joined its Fast Break team from the Oregonian, in Portland, Ore., and previously worked at the Palm Beach Post. Zarkhin welcomes tips for watchdog and human interest stories at (213) 572-7584 via call, text or on WhatsApp and Signal. You can also pitch stories or send him records via email at [email protected].

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