A former University of California, Berkeley student, who was found dead Saturday at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house, has been identified.
The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau on Monday said the victim was 22-year-old Jeffrey Thomas Engler of San Leandro.
Police arrived at 2908 Channing Way on reports of a suspicious death at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, officer Jennifer Coats said. Engler was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
Engler, who previously attended UC Berkeley, was enrolled in classes at Laney College. Despite being a current member of Pi Kappa Phi, he did not live at the fraternity house and was there for a holiday party, police said.
"Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears he fell from a significant height prior to his death," Coats said in a statement. "There are no indications of foul play and alcohol appears to have played a factor in his death."
Engler's cause of death has not been released, according to officials.
Todd Shelton, a spokesman for the national office of the fraternity, said the students have been instructed to cooperate fully with the Berkeley police investigation.
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"Our thoughts and prayers are with the alumnus's family and friends," fraternity CEO Mark Timmes said in a statement. "The fraternity is continuing to work with the university staff to provide support to the student members of the chapter."
Two students died in the area, nicknamed "frat row," late last year, apparently from alcohol-related causes.
A 20-year-old student was found dead in front of the Zeta Psi fraternity at 2729 Bancroft Way at 12:09 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2014. His death was later confirmed to be from alcohol poisoning.
Another student, a 20-year-old UC Berkeley junior, was found dead almost a year ago to the day, on the morning of Dec. 20, 2014. Police said his death was suspicious and possibly alcohol-related.
A Berkeley city report from April said 95 percent of injuries and deaths at fraternities nationwide are alcohol-related.
