Police say the 18-year-old student attended a Delta Tau Delta rush event the night before he was found unresponsive.
FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Three Northern Arizona University fraternity officers were arrested on hazing charges after an 18-year-old student was found unresponsive Saturday morning at a house tied to a rush event, police said. The student was pronounced dead at the scene despite CPR by bystanders and first responders.
Authorities say the case centers on an off-campus gathering for Delta Tau Delta held Friday night, with witness accounts and court records pointing to heavy alcohol use among new-member candidates. Flagstaff police detained three 20-year-old chapter leaders on hazing counts while the Coconino County Medical Examiner determines the cause and manner of death. NAU has suspended the local chapter and opened its own review. The national fraternity said it condemns hazing and is cooperating with investigators. The student’s name has not been publicly released pending family notification.
Police were called just before 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, to a residence near South Pine Grove Road after reports of an unresponsive person. Investigators learned the student had attended a rush event the night before and, according to interviews summarized in court filings, participated in drinking activities with other prospective members. Some attendees later described hearing loud, irregular snoring around 3 a.m. and checking the student’s breathing, but he was found unresponsive hours later. “This is a devastating loss for the NAU community,” university officials said in a written statement, adding that the school is assisting police and providing support to students.
Flagstaff police identified those arrested as new-member educator Carter Eslick, vice president Ryan Creech and treasurer Riley Cass, all 20. Each was booked on hazing charges at the Coconino County Detention Facility. Court documents state pledges were blindfolded with pillowcases and directed to consume large quantities of vodka; some witnesses described vomiting and stumbling in the hours before the victim was discovered. The medical examiner has not issued a final ruling. Police said additional charges remain possible as laboratory results and interviews are reviewed. The fraternity house tied to the event has been secured for evidence processing, and detectives collected phones and messages from attendees.
Arizona strengthened its anti-hazing statute in 2022 under a law informally known as Jack’s Law, which makes hazing a crime and allows felony charges when someone is seriously injured or dies. Universities across the state adopted new reporting requirements and training after the law took effect. NAU officials said the Delta Tau Delta chapter is on interim suspension and barred from events while the campus conduct process runs alongside the criminal case. The national organization reiterated its policy prohibiting alcohol at new-member activities and said its investigators will examine whether local members violated risk-management rules.
Police have not released the student’s identity or provided an exact timeline of his movements between the end of the Friday night gathering and the Saturday morning 911 call. Detectives are cross-checking statements, phone data and group chats to map the overnight hours. Authorities said they are also reviewing whether adults beyond the three arrested officers had roles organizing or supervising the event, and whether alcoholic beverages were purchased or provided by specific individuals. The department said toxicology testing and a full autopsy are underway, a process that can take several weeks.
Neighbors described the South Pine Grove Road house as a typical student rental, with weekend noise but little prior trouble. One student who lives nearby said the scene Saturday included multiple patrol cars and an ambulance clustered along the narrow street. “You could feel something was wrong,” the neighbor said, adding that students were standing on the sidewalk crying as officers moved people back from the front porch. Delta Tau Delta’s national office said, “Hazing has no place in our organization,” and pledged to work with university and police reviews.
As of Tuesday, the three arrested students remained accused of hazing while investigators await autopsy findings and finish interviews. NAU said counselors are available on campus and that further updates on the fraternity’s status will come after initial fact-finding. Police said they intend to release the victim’s name after next of kin are notified and expect to provide a case update later this week.
Author note: Last updated February 3, 2026.