By Vincent Frank
University of California men’s soccer player Eloi Vasquez, who had gone missing from a Southern California party this past weekend, was found dead on Monday.
The school confirmed Vasquez’s death in a press release, and also sent a message on Twitter expressing condolences to the family.
Today we lost a beloved member of the #CalFamily, Eloi Vasquez. We send thoughts & prayers to his family & friends. pic.twitter.com/Pq0VAEanJU
— Cal Bears (@CalAthletics) March 30, 2015
This is unquestionably a tremendous loss for our program and our university community,” CAL Associate Athletic Director Wesley Mallette said on Monday. “He was one of our brothers. He was a family member.”
The circumstances surrounding Vasquez’s death are tragic. Los Angeles Police found the body of the 19-year-old soccer player around 2:25 a.m. Saturday morning. He was hit by a car on the Santa Monica Freeway just a few miles from the USC campus.
Vasquez apparently made two phone calls to friends immediately prior to being struck by a car. One indicated that he was “really worried” and “didn’t know what to do.” That came after friends tried to talk him out of leaving the fraternity party early Saturday morning.
The San Rafael, California native played in 12 games for the Bears soccer team this past season, including both of its NCAA Tournament matches. He was just a freshman one semester into his college career.
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