Las Cruces Football Player Brain Dead After Fight

Update: The Dona Ana Sheriff’s Office released a statement Tuesday stating that contrary to rumors, the party that an Onate High School football player was beaten at was not a gang-related or gang-affiliated party.

Sheriff’s officials said allegedly there was alcohol at the party and no one over the age of 21 appears at this time to have been present. Investigators said they received information that news of this party was spread through social media and several subjects, including a group of the suspects “crashed” the party. The group was asked to leave and words were exchanged.

At one point, one subject in the suspect group fell and embarrassed himself which led to a physical confrontation. The fight moved into the street and ended with Michael Serna stabbed and Jerry Zamarippa with a head injury. It’s not clear at this point, with conflicting accounts, if both victims were participants in the altercation or bystanders, sheriff’s officials said.

Following the injuries to the victims, the suspects entered and then fled the scene in a small, silver, late model SUV which is still outstanding.

There were numerous witnesses to the incident but there are conflicting accounts and identifications as to who the suspects are and who actually committed the Aggravated Batteries. Investigators are still working several leads to positively identify the suspects, but no arrests have been made at this time.

Zamarippa is brain dead, according to Las Cruces Public Schools officials.

Previous Story, Posted Feb. 21, 2011 Two Onate High School Students from Las Cruces are in critical condition at University Medical Center in El Paso – one of them, brain dead, officials said.

Investigators said a fight broke out early Sunday morning during a weekend house party in the 8700 block of Tammy Lane, outside of Las Cruces city limits.

Las Cruces Public School District officials confirmed two victims, Michael Sena and Jerry Zamarripa, are both students at OHS.

The Athletics Coordinator at Onate, David Day, said he knew Zamarripa very well, and said it is disheartening to hear he is now brain-dead, hanging on by life-support.

A photograph on Zamarripa’s public Facebook page shows a varsity football player. But Zamarripa was also a role-model student, Day said.

After a difficult freshman year, Zamarripa turned his attitude and his life around, and became the kind of kid teachers were proud to see everyday in the hallways, Day said.

But Zamarripa’s bright future turned dark Sunday morning. Investigators said he was struck in the head with some sort of object, while another man was stabbed in his side.

Day said his last memory of Zamarripa was after Friday night’s basketball game. Day said, he told Zamarripa to be careful and safe, to which he said Zamarripa replied, ‘Yes sir.'”

Day said the news is going to be tough for the entire Onate community.

“He became a very, very likable young man,” Day said. “He went out for sports, went out for football, had a lot of determination and kept at it, kept at it… became a hard worker, good man on and off the field; just became an outstanding young man.”

According to Zamarripa’s Facebook page, he was expected to graduate from OHS this spring.

No arrests have been made at this point in the investigation.

District officials said they are not sure if something on-campus may have fueled the off-campus fight, or, if it is strictly isolated to the party. It is also not clear if this could be gang-related.

Grief counselors will be at Onate Tuesday to speak with students about the young man who is, without a doubt, going to be so greatly missed, Day said.