Toxicology results for Sarah Botill, the 15-year-old daughter of
a Gilroy firefighter who died Dec. 5, show only a moderate amount
of alcohol in her system and no evidence of other drugs.
Toxicology results for Sarah Botill, the 15-year-old daughter of a Gilroy firefighter who died Dec. 5, show only a moderate amount of alcohol in her system and no evidence of other drugs.
Gilroy Police Sgt. Noel Provost said that the toxicology results could be considered consistent with the 12 ounces of vodka mixed with sparkling cider that investigators believe Botill and her two friends consumed together at a birthday sleepover.
Botill’s blood alcohol level measured .04 percent at the time of her death, Provost said. That amount is equivalent to a 100-pound person having one drink in an hour, according to a blood alcohol calculator based on information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Captain Pete Rode of the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office said that, pending additional test results, it will be up to a forensic pathologist to try and put all the evidence together to determine a cause of death.
“This is just a piece of the puzzle,” Rode said. “It won’t tell you the whole picture.”
A forensic pathologist will take a look at the toxicology tests along with other autopsy results and make a finding and full report within the next week or two, Rode said.
But Provost pointed out that it’s possible that the coroner would not make able to make a conclusive finding. He added that each bit of information that becomes public makes it difficult for the Botill family, causing them to relive the horror of the night she passed.
When completed, the coroner’s office report will be turned over to District Attorney Dolores Carr’s office, which will determine if any charges will be filed related to the events. Botill’s 18-year-old friend, Kayla Dunigan, legally an adult, brought the vodka she took from her father’s cabinet to the sleepover. She could face charges related to supplying alcohol to a minor, police have said.
Mike and Michelle Botill, Sarah’s parents, were notified of the toxicology test results this morning, Provost said.
The Botill’s daughter passed away at Saint Louise Regional Hospital late Saturday morning on Dec. 5. Emergency personnel responded to a call at 8:44 a.m. to the home of former Gilroy City Councilman Roland Velasco and his stepdaughter on Bunting Court. The call reported a teenager was having trouble breathing. Botill was alive but unresponsive when fire and police responded.
