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NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Prosecutors say a Rutgers University student has died after she "became distressed" while attending a small gathering at a fraternity house.
A preliminary investigation determined that the death of 19-year-old Caitlyn Kovacs may be alcohol-related. But the cause of death has not yet been determined.
Middlesex County prosecutors say the South Brunswick resident was sophomore at the university.
They said Kovacs was at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house in New Brunswick when she appeared to be in distress around 3 a.m. Sunday. Some friends took her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Hospital officials notified police about the death, which is under investigation by the prosecutor's office and the Rutgers and New Brunswick police departments. Authorities said the county medical examiner's office would perform an autopsy on Kovacs, but it was not known when the results would be released.
Kovacs was a student in the university's School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, majoring in animal sciences.
In a statement posted late Sunday morning, Rutgers President Robert Barchi called Kovacs death "a tragic loss to her family, her friends, and the entire Rutgers community." He said counseling would be made available Sunday at two campus sites for those dealing with their grief.
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