San Marcos Junior Died of Natural Causes

San Marcos High School junior Jorge “Isaac” Lopez Silva died of seemingly natural causes on Friday night. He had stayed home from school last Friday because he wasn’t feeling well, and when his dad went to check on him that night, the 17-year-old was not breathing. His father called 9-1-1, and once medics arrived, they determined he did not have a pulse. Lopez passed away a short time later at Cottage Hospital.

San Marcos students and staff are in shock and still processing the tragic death, said San Marcos Principal Ed Behrens. A compassion center has been set up in the career center, and about 15 students gathered at lunchtime on Tuesday to create memorial posters for his family. Classmates described Lopez as a great friend who always had a smile on his face.

Lopez was in the English Language Learner program, and his mother still lives in Mexico, where he will be buried. Lopez lived with his father and had a cousin who is a freshman at San Marcos. The Kids Helping Kids program is raising money to help his family.

“I met with the cousin and the father multiple times now, and it wasn’t anything that was expected,” Behrens said. “Everyone is trying to process and is in grieving mode. We are just trying to provide support.” Lopez did not have any medical conditions that Behrens was aware of. An autopsy will be performed.

A donation account is being set up at Bank of America for Lopez’s family. A rosary will be held at Holy Cross Church on Friday night.