Arrest warrants issued in alcohol-related teen death

KENNESAW, Ga. —
Kennesaw police have issued arrest warrants in the death of a 16-year-old following a night of binge drinking.

Police said Alex Fraire was challenged to join in a drinking game at a house party on Live Oak Drive the night of July 11. A 20-year-old friend who lives in the home allegedly served the teen a mixture of hard liquor.

"I know vodka and rum were consumed. I don't know if it was by shots, but they were drinking a pretty large quantity of alcohol to the point that he had gotten sick before he left the house party." said Kennesaw Police Lt. Craig Graydon.

After leaving the party, the teen was driven to a friend's apartment at the Towne Lakes Hill South complex, where he passed out. Someone in the apartment called for help the next morning. When deputies arrived, the teen was found dead inside the apartment, authorities said.

"When you encourage binge drinking, excessive consumption of alcohol, that's where you see the biggest problems. Unfortunately this is not the first death that we have seen," Graydon said.

The death of the teenager has devastated his family. Channel 2's Tom Regan visited their Woodstock home, where they created a memorial altar in the living room to pray and mourn his death.

The altar, which holds pictures of Alex, candles, flowers and religious symbols, is a tradition in the Latino Catholic community. Members of his extended family from Georgia and out of state came to pay respects.

The victim's older sister spoke on behalf of the family.

"It's really hard for us, because he was our baby," Maria Tamayo told Regan.

Tamayo said she can't understand why someone didn't try to get medical help for her brother when it was clear than he was intoxicated to a dangerous level.

"They told him to drink more, drink more, like it was a game to them. They said he will be okay, instead of calling police for help. If they made a call in time, maybe my brother would be with us right now," Tamayo said.

The family also wants to know how the 20-year-old, who allegedly provided the alcohol, was able to obtain the vodka and rum.

Police say the man, who is not in custody, will be charged with underage drinking, providing alcohol to a minor and reckless conduct. Two others who attended the house party also face charges of underage drinking.

Authorities tell Channel 2 Action News that additional charges may be filed in Cherokee County.

Investigators are awaiting a toxicology report to determine how much alcohol the teenager had consumed.

WSBTV