Fullerton Student Dies on Tijuana Day Trip

SAN DIEGO —  A Cal State Fullerton student who went to Tijuana for a day of shopping during spring break suddenly collapsed and died on the sidewalk, Mexican authorities said Friday.

Kavita Chopra, 21, of Anaheim died Thursday of cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease, according to a preliminary autopsy report by the Tijuana coroner’s office.

More details, including results from toxicology tests, were expected to be released Saturday when the woman’s family picked up the body for transport back to the United States, authorities said.

Relatives at the home Chopra shared with her parents said she had gone on an impromptu day trip to Tijuana to celebrate spring break with a friend.

“She was supposed to come back at night,” said Vandana Sharma, a cousin of Chopra’s mother.

Chopra and friend Marian Truong drove to San Diego, where they had lunch, parked Chopra’s car, and walked across the border for sightseeing and shopping, Sharma said.

The women stopped at the FX bar during the afternoon, but authorities were unclear of the time. Chopra apparently ordered a pina colada but didn’t finish it, Truong told Chopra’s family.

“She only had one or two sips of it and didn’t like the taste of it. That’s what Marian told us,” said Chopra’s aunt, Anu Mehta.

When they left the bar, about 4:30 p.m., Chopra told her friend she didn’t feel well and needed to sit down, Sharma said. A few moments later, Chopra’s head fell to one side and her eyes rolled back. Truong thought Chopra was kidding, Sharma said.

“She tried to touch her,” Sharma said, sobbing. Chopra wasn’t breathing.

A bystander tried to resuscitate her until authorities arrived, but he was unsuccessful, Sharma said.

Sharma said Chopra had some type of heart operation when she was a baby, but she had been in perfect health since then. She said the family was puzzled by the death of the woman, whom she described as a dark-haired beauty dedicated to her parents, emigrants from India.

“The most beautiful thing about her was that she was just very sincere,” Sharma said. “She just loved everybody, she was very respectful.”