UPDATE: Medical examiner report showed that Adonis Peña Escoto passed away due to "acute alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP) toxicity." Alpha-PVP is a type of synthetic bath salt sometimes sold as "gravel."
A young Ultra attendee has died under mysterious circumstances.
Adonis Escoto, 21, passed away in a car parked near the music festival. He and his friends had been attending Ultra since Friday night. Late Saturday night, however, Escoto suddenly began to feel dizzy.
"We have no idea what happened," says aunt Rosa Escoto. "He didn't take drugs. We think maybe someone put something in his drink without him knowing."
See also: Ultra Music Festival-Goer Nearly Died After Drinking Water Laced With Antifreeze
News of the death first spread on social media. Friends and family members of Escoto -- an improv comedian who performed under the name Adonis Peña -- began posting photos of him Sunday saying "RIP Adonis 30/03/14."
Rosa Escoto says she first learned of her nephew's death when she received a call at 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Adonis started feeling sick Saturday night while at Ultra, she says. His friends, however, thought he had simply drunk too much, and they took him to their car to sober up. When they returned a couple hours later, Escoto was dead, according to his aunt.
A Miami Police spokesman said the department did not have any information on Escoto's death. A Miami Fire-Rescue official also said he had no knowledge of any deaths at Ultra, although a patient could have passed away after being transported to a hospital. Jackson Memorial Hospital did not return phone calls for comment. Neither did Ultra. We will update as soon as we hear from the music festival.
It's not inconceivable that Escoto died from accidentally drinking something laced with drugs. Last year a 23-year-old Ultra-goer went into a coma and nearly died after someone gave him water spiked with anti-freeze.
Another youth, 20-year-old New Jerseyan Anthony Cassano, did die from a drug overdose last year at Ultra.
There are few details available about Escoto's death. His older brother, Dionis Escoto Jr., confirmed that Adonis died while attending Ultra, but asked for media to respect his family's privacy.
"We're mourning his loss," he said. "If you want to leave us alone, that's cool. I don't want to talk about it right now."
Adonis Escoto's Facebook page reveals a young man who loved EDM. He "liked" several DJs and belonged to Facebook groups "ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL TICKETS," "REAL Parties/Events For The FLY & YOUNG," and something called "just about killed 088577."
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