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Man’s death during Las Vegas burglary call ruled an accident

Updated December 13, 2018 - 6:36 pm

A man’s death after a reported burglary in August was ruled to be an accident, and he likely wouldn’t have faced charges had he survived, authorities said.

Jeff Roger Dubois, 41, died of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, and alcohol intoxication, the Clark County coroner’s office said Tuesday. Other significant conditions in his death included ketamine use, environmental heat stress and hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the coroner said.

Police who responded to a burglary call just after 3 p.m. on Aug. 22 on the 2700 block of Silver Leaf Way, near West Flamingo Road and South Tenaya Way, found Dubois on the ground outside the home, Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Jay Rivera said at the time. Officers requested medical help, but he died at Spring Valley Medical Center, police said.

Metro spokeswoman Laura Meltzer said Thursday that it is unlikely Dubois would have faced charges had he survived as it was apparent he was in need of medical attention and was a few doors away from his house.

Dubois’ brother, David Dinisi of West Covina, California,

said Dubois wasn’t trying to burglarize the home he entered, but was rather seeking help. He had moved back in with his parents, whose home is nearby, and was helping care for them.

“He was trying to get home and never made it,” Dinisi said.

Dinisi said he had spoken with the homeowner, who told him he didn’t try to take anything from inside the house. Dinisi also said that the coroner’s office told him that Dubois’ temperature had reached 107 degrees.

“She told me straight out that when he went into the house, he said, ‘Help, I can’t see, I’m hot,’” he said of the homeowner.

Dinisi remembers his brother as a man willing to help those in need, such as feeding or giving money to the homeless.

Dubois had the ability to make people laugh through his goofy personality and the “stupid” things he’d say, Dinisi said. And Dubois’ own laugh was easily recognizable to those who knew him, Dinisi said.

“You could hear Jeff above everybody,” his brother said.

Dubois and his family from California gathered in Las Vegas every year for more than a dozen years for NASCAR weekend. The family cheered for different drivers, and Dubois’ favorite was Jeff Gordon. The family, which had 22 seats at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway every year, would play poker and cook while they were in town, Dinisi said.

But after the racer retired, Dubois lost interest and the family canceled plans to attend this year.

“Without Jeff, it’s just not worth it no more,” he would tell Dinisi.

Dubois is survived by his parents, three brothers, a daughter, a pet pig and a pet dachshund, Dinisi said.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.

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