[UPDATED] Two Teens in Huntington Beach Found Dead Alongside Empty Can of Four Loko

By Michelle Woo Tue., Jan. 25 2011 at 9:41 AM

Categories: Breaking News

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UPDATE, JAN. 25, 9:41 A.M.: The victims have been identified as Aaron Saenz, 15, of Westminster, and Chelsea Taylor, 16, of Huntington Beach. Their bodies were found at an apartment in the 15500 block of Huntington Village Lane, LA Times reports.

ORIGINAL POST, JAN. 24, 4:21 P.M.: A 15-year-old male and a 16-year-old female were found dead inside a vacant Surf City apartment on Friday, the Huntington Beach Independent reports.

Along with them? An empty can of Four Loko, the famed caffeine-spiked alcoholic beverage blamed for several deaths across the country and banned in several states.

Last fall, the Chicago-based makers of Four Loko agreed to stop adding caffeine to the drink to comply with FDA regulators, who declared the stuff was unsafe.

Though it's been dubbed "Blackout In a Can" with 12 percent alcohol, it's tough to believe that just one of these suckers could cause the death of two teenagers. Officers found other indications of drug and alcohol use in the apartment, but no specifics were given, as the investigation is ongoing.

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I remember that a few years ago fuck HBPD. Only time I ever had a cop block traffic and randomly stop me to give me a ticket for...blocking traffic. WTF? Cost me $120 too. I have no idea how I was the one blocking traffic when the pig was parked on the wrong side of the road blocking the lane.
Yea, I have a friend that lived there and told me about it. right next to Old World, Right?
Over off of Edinger in between Beach and Newland. Towards Bella Terra...
Chelsea was my best friend since eight grade she was a great person. She was extrememly intelligent. She was just lead in the wrong way people need to stop saying all this crap about her.
I like how "signs of drug use" is almost an after thought in this article. another attempt to skew public opinion against something that isnt even all that bad for you. i call shenanigans on this shit
you got that right.
aaron was a great fucking guy you dont know shit.
the important part is two people died. why is nothing being said about them?
Why are you defending that crappy 4 Loco. And why are you calling two kids that died dumb asses. you are obviously an uneducated, immature, loser, who cant even form a complete sentence.
What are these jerks talking about. No one is saying that these two died from a single can of this.Whats being discovered is that this product has been banned in some states, that it has put people in the hospital. Its an unsafe product. It should be off the shelves permanately. It might have had little baring on the two teens that died ,or it could have had a contibuting factor in their deaths. I feel extremely sad when I hear stories like this, But I know one thing,this product should be off the market. Lisa Morin-Costa Mesa,Ca.
A LA VERGA PUTOS''!!!!
Hey Gustavo, why would people start actually reading the articles and thinking about the content before spouting their knee-jerk reactions at this late date? This goes for (uncounted) other comments too.
darwins law at work
That's ridiculous. As so many of the comments have already mentioned, there were drugs (probably some weed, maybe some coke, who knows) and other types of booze in the apartment, things that 15 and 16 year olds shouldn't have in the first place. BUT, the one thing that really put this situation over the edge was the SINGLE CAN of loko. The company already took action, and already removed the caffeine. Michelle Woo, author of this story, you are an idiot. Get over the criticism of 4loko, they did their part, and move on to more important things like adolescent drug abuse.
anyone whom has their comments regarding "other drugs found" at this point is not yes or no. BUT what can be stated is if other drugs were around & this "drink" was prevlant it was a drink that would increase your heart beat. So really does anyone know. My heart goes out for the parents. Let it rest until the results are known. The pain is strong enough to kill those that love them so much to not function. Unfortunatley technology has taken over which makes it impossible for anyone to understand anything beyond another one's opinion. Including me. Respect the Family if you loved or cared about these 2.
stop it, people who loved and cared about these kids want closure. Wait for the truth and results before you "Think you know"
But you're now unable to speak English.
i have drank 7!!! im still alive !!
these kids r dumb asses drinking that young... but wut ever they got their hands on whould have killed them dont blame 4 loko like i no u all r going to do!!
Awesome. 2 more useless humans leave this earth. Can we get this company to start mass producing the stuff?
clearly these people dont know how to drink
WTF? These comments pass as intelligent these days? They're worse than the stupid article.
I'm curious if this would still have been reported if it was just an empty bottle of beer next to the bodies. This report is a pathetic attempt to smear Four Loko.
And we noted that--so what's your point?
Many intelligent comments here, especially MayhemInTheHood's. Sensationalism will always be chosen over news. Witness the saying "if it bleeds, it leads". It worked - everyone one of us clicked on that link and made the OC Weekly money from its advertisers. Fortunately more and more of us are finding out how this works.
What a bunch of crap.
I ONCE DRANK 6 OF THESE IN A SINGLE NIGHT. THIS STORY IS BULLSHIT!!!
Oh wow, OK this really does make a whole lot of sense. Wow. www.total-anonymity.edu.tc
There is NO POSSIBLE WAY that drinking a can of Four Loko would kill you unless you already have an incredibly serious medical condition, and in that case drinking a coffee or Red Bull would also kill you. What a load of crap. Two teenagers DIED here. Can you please make an attempt at some actual journalism? For their sake?
It's the parents and older friends that I would question. These teens are under age and should not have been in possession of this drink.
wow, that-a-way to implicate four loko when there were drugs and other sources of alcohol were present in the apartment... the stuff is already banned, why add salt to the wound?
Wow Michelle you should end yourself. What a lame article.
Sounds as if she was close to you, I am sorry to hear of that case again. Was she latina? I understand that puts a bulls eye on her back. It is always sad when our young die stupid deaths. I am wondering what they were doing in a vacant apartment? Where in HB was this? Inquiring minds want to know.
This is about under age drinking!!! Not about caffeine-spiked alcholic beverages and I've never heard of caffeine-spiked, what does that even mean?
What do you expect from HBPD there was sign of other drugs and alcohol use but we are HBPD and the most important part and the cause of these two teens deaths is the Four Loko and not the other shit. Fucking Huntington Beach PD the most corrupt police department in Orange County. Two of there PIGS got away with murder a few years ago they emptied there weapons into a 18 year girl at central part because she had a pocket knife they could of tazed her but no they decided to put 24 rounds into her.
Good comment Mayhemln. Shock reporting requires the OC Weekly to print a picture of this beverage as if it alone killed these teens. Equally sad is that the police would divulge this one bit of information, instead of waiting til the facts of the case are known. My thoughts and sympathies for the families of these young people whose lives were cut short.
Now thats some bull... I know people that drink 2 or 3 of those in a night out, so that can not possibly be their demise especially with ONE CAN. Probably O.D. on some heroin.... Sad but true.
Yeah, there were other signs of drug and alcohol use. But that's not important right now. Just know that a single can of Four Loko is involved. What a weird thing to specify to a reporter, yet not divulge any of the other drug/alcohol details.