Two West Suburban Students Died During Winter Break

AURORA, Ill. (STMW) - Counselors are on hand this week, and will be when school resumes next week, to help East Aurora School District students cope with the deaths of two of their classmates.

Two district students — one in middle school and one in high school — died last week, East Aurora schools spokesman Clayton Muhammad said.

Silvia Leon, an eighth grader, and Jaime Cepeda, a ninth grader, died while East students were on winter break. School resumes on Tuesday.

"It's always overwhelmingly sad when one student passes, so you can imagine the sadness that comes with two students passing in one week," Muhammad said.

Aurora police said Leon, 16, died on Dec. 20. She was a student at the East Aurora Middle School Campus on Root Street. According to Aurora police, a preliminary cause of death has not been established. The investigation remains open, and police are waiting for toxicology reports.

Cepeda, 14, a student at East High, died Dec. 22. Foul play is not suspected in his death, officials said.

"As a district we're working with both families. We're there providing as much support as we possibly can," Muhammad said.

"Both students were extremely popular. Just by the sheer turnout at (funeral) services, you could tell they had a strong connection to their classmates."

Muhammad said East Aurora's crisis team is available to students while on break and will be in place when students come back to school, too.

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