Police cited and released an 18-year-old Kayla Dunigan for
allegedly giving vodka to 15-year-old Sara Botill at a Dec. 5
slumber party after which Botill died.
Police cited and released an 18-year-old Kayla Dunigan for allegedly giving vodka to 15-year-old Sara Botill at a Dec. 5 slumber party after which Botill died.
Dunigan was cited with a misdemeanor charge of providing alcohol to someone under the age of 21 about 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Gilroy Police Department after she and her father came in at about 8 a.m. to meet with Detective Stan Devlin, Gilroy Police Sgt. Wes Stanford said
“I feel fairly confident that we’re not going to see any other charges coming out of this unless additional information surfaces,” Stanford said.
However, he said that decision ultimately will be up to the Santa Clara County Office of the District Attorney. The office issued a warrant the day before Dunigan’s arrest, Stanford said.
Dunigan allegedly brought a bottle of Ketel One vodka to a birthday party at the Bunting Court house of Roland and Lisa Velasco on Dec. 5. The three girls who were at the party – Botill, Dunigan and Lisa Velasco’s daughter – were drinking the vodka mixed with sparkling cider, unbeknownst to the Velascos, police have said.
Botill – the daughter of a Gilroy firefighter and a Gilroy High School student – became increasingly ill after the girls had been drinking, and she ultimately died shortly after being transported to Saint Louise Regional Hospital about 9:30 a.m., police said. Dunigan left earlier in the morning after being disgusted by Botill’s vomiting, police said.
An autopsy report released Feb. 9 stated the death of Botill cannot be determined, but her blood alcohol level – about .053 percent one to two hours before her death – was far below what would normally be fatal. She may have died from a preexisting heart condition that was exacerbated by alcohol or by inhaling a significant amount of water or watery vomit while intoxicated, the report said.
