Ninth U.S. Tourist Dies While Visiting the Dominican Republic

photo credit: yu-jas // Shutterstock

A New Jersey man is the latest U.S. citizen to pass away while visiting a resort at the Dominican Republic. Joseph Allen, 55, was found dead in his hotel room lat Thursday at the Terra Linda Resort in Sosua.

Allen’s cause of death has not been released yet. Allen’s death comes less than 2 weeks after Leyla Cox, 53, was found dead in her hotel room in the D.R. on June 10. Her cause of death was named a heart attack. These death are being called “isolated events.”

Authorities are now investigating fake alcohol to determine if the 9 tourists were poisoned. The FBI is reportedly taking blood samples from the victims. They are also working to figure out where the alcohol came from, and if the bottles have any harmful chemicals in them. There have also been various cases of people becoming ill after drinking from the minibars, but have survived.

According to a forensic science professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, the symptoms seen in the victims were consistent with poisoning from methanol or pesticides; common toxic ingredients in fake liquor.

“Adulterated alcohol is usually methanol added to alcohol or just pain methanol, which is very, very toxic,” Kobilinky said. “It looks to me, from what I’ve heard and read, is that something was added to the drinks or bottles in those little refrigerators.”

Written by Clarke Jones

Ninth U.S. Tourist Dies While Visiting the Dominican Republic

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