Sep 22, 2014 01:01 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Caitlyn P. Kovacs, a 19-year-old student at Rutgers University, died early Monday morning after she was taken to the hospital from a fraternity house near campus.

According to NJ.com, the police began an investigation into the matter at 3:28 a.m., when the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital informed them of the incident. While an autopsy has yet to confirm the cause of Kovacs's death, early signs point to alcohol-related reasons.

Middlesex County prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a statement that Kovacs "appeared to be in distress" when her friends decided to take her to the hospital, which was around 3 a.m. She was pronounced dead at 3:19 a.m. Carey said Kovacs was at a social event at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on College Ave., though the attendance was reportedly low.

Aaron Laserna, a 19-year-old student at Rutgers, told NJ.com Kovacs had an infectiously positive personality. Laserna was Kovacs' friend since freshman year in high school and said she had a profound effect on his life.

''She had a lot of energy and always had a smile on her face. She was always happy and fun to be around. I can't believe she's gone," he said. ''I was friends with Caitlyn and we were in the student council together, so I asked her.

"To commemorate her life today I took the picture of us from that talent show and put up on Twitter. It's something I will never forget.''

Rutgers President Robert Barchi addressed the school community and encouraged anyone dealing with grief to contact the Counseling ADAP & Psychiatric Services at (848) 932-7884 or online: rhscaps.rutgers.edu.

"This is a time, too, when we need to reach out to one another and show our love, support, and compassion," Barchi wrote. "This is a time to let each other know that we care and to share our strength and understanding with those in need so that we come through this tragedy with a deeper commitment to each member of the Rutgers community."

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