Courtesy of family of Nathan Valencia
Nathan Valencia and his girlfriend, Lacey Foster, are shown in this undated photo. Valencia, 20, died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center on Nov. 23, days after participating in a charity boxing match sponsored by a UNLV fraternity.
Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 | 6:35 p.m.
Nathan Valencia, 20, died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center on Nov. 23, days after participating in the event dubbed Fraternity Fight Night. The event was hosted by the Kappa Sigma fraternity, and Valencia participated as a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. (Courtesy of family of Nathan Valencia)
Newly-released call audio to 911 detail the moments after a UNLV student was fatally injured during a fraternity charity boxing event off campus.
The call audio, released by Clark County officials late Friday, indicates Nathan Valencia, 20, collapsed in the ring at the “Fight Night” event on Nov. 19 promoted by the university’s Kappa Sigma chapter at the Sahara Event Center, 800 E. Karen Ave..
Valencia was transported to the nearby Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, and succumbed to his injuries three days later.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office ruled Valencia’s death a homicide, with the cause of death being blunt force head trauma. Several bodies are investigating the incident, but Metro Police has said there has been nothing to indicate criminality on the venue’s part.
“He (Valencia) is in the ring,” a female caller told the dispatcher. “We only have like eight people here in the ring. Everyone else is out. We have nurses here, but we need, like, real medical.”
The dispatcher responded, “I understand. And they’re already on their way, OK? They’re coming to you guys, lights and sirens. … They’re not too far from you guys.”
“Can you confirm with me, is he breathing or is he not breathing?”
The caller’s answer was redacted, as well as answers to questions of whether if there was any “serious” bleeding, or if Valencia was alert.
“I have paramedics already on the way,” the dispatcher said. “Just stay on the line and I’ll tell you exactly what to do next. Just make sure not to move him unless he is in danger.”
The call lasted about seven minutes and ended after the caller told the dispatcher that paramedics had arrived on scene. The Sahara Event Center is located about a mile from Sunrise.
The unidentified woman speaking with the dispatcher started the call saying they needed an ambulance right away, and that a fight had broken out in the crowd. By the time the fight in the crowd was broken up, the caller said Valencia had collapsed in the ring.
“So we are hosting a fight night for a fraternity charity and something happened, and we’re not sure what happened,” the caller said. “There was a fight that broke out and one of the fighters, like, actually got injured.”
The dispatcher responds, “When you said you guys are holding a fight event, this wasn’t like an assault?”
“No,” the caller said.
The woman calling went on to say before the ambulance arrived that the event center had been cleared out, except for “people who’re essential to the situation.”
“He (Valencia) is the main event of the fight that happened, the last event,” the caller said. “If we’re being honest, I was in the VIP section and then a citizen fight kind of broke out. But everyone was fine there.
“Then, all of a sudden, he is on the floor.”
The caller’s statements to the dispatcher contradict claims made by Valencia’s family. On Tuesday, hours after the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced it had opened an investigation into the event, attorneys representing Valencia’s family released a statement claiming no medical personnel “of any kind” were at the event.
Valencia’s family is being represented by the Richard Harris Law Firm, which could not immediately be reached for comment.
“We have confirmed from multiple sources that there were no paramedics or medical personnel of any kind at this event. We have also confirmed that participants in years past were knocked unconscious and so injured they required hospital attention,” the statement said.
“We will hold those responsible for Nathan’s death accountable and ensure that this never happens to another son, daughter or member of this community.”
UNLV announced Wednesday it had suspended the Kappa Sigma fraternity pending an investigation by the university’s Office of Student Conduct. Valencia was representing the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity in the main event against Kappa Sigma’s Emmanuel Aleman.
Kappa Sigma’s national organization began a review Monday of “whether Kappa Sigma’s internal policies and standards of conduct were followed” by the UNLV chapter, Kappa Sigma executive Mitchell Wilson said.
“Kappa Sigma Fraternity expects all of our chapters to conform with all applicable state and local laws,” Wilson said in a statement.
A weigh-in for the fight took place at the UNLV Student Union two days before the event.
“Our hearts ache for Mr. Valencia’s family, friends and loved ones,” UNLV President Keith Whitfield said in the release earlier this week. “We take our responsibility to review this tragic incident and the events leading up to it very seriously, and we are doing so both thoroughly and fairly to ensure something like this never happens again.”
While suspended, the UNLV Kappa Sigma chapter must cease all operations and activities, the school said. Its status as a registered student organization has been revoked pending an outcome of the university’s probe.
The university added it will “cooperate fully with any other independent reviews by state and local agencies.”
A GoFundMe started by Valencia’s girlfriend, Lacey Foster, to cover medical and funeral expenses, has raised nearly $66,000.
