Carbon monoxide poisoning possible cause of death of son of former New York Yankees player

Djenane Villanueva, CNN

(CNN) — The death of Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, at a beach resort in Costa Rica is believed to be related to carbon monoxide inhalation, the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) of the Central American country said Monday.

OIJ director Randall Zúñiga explained that the first results of tests conducted on March 21 – the day the teenager died in his hotel room at the Arenas Del Mar resort – with a specialized team for hazardous atmospheres came in after being conducted by the Costa Rican Fire Department’s engineering division and the OIJ.

The official said a machine room, “which is believed to have some type of contamination that could have caused this situation,” was next to the hotel room where Miller Gardner was sleeping.

A report was made to the Ministry of Health, which has the collaboration of the FBI, Zúñiga added.

“We also have to wait for the final results of forensic toxicology to determine exactly what caused the death. However, the initial lines of investigation indicate that it was due to this contamination situation, where up to 600 parts per million were found, when the correct level should be zero in this particular case.”

Zúñiga also pointed out that this is the first police advancement in the case.

Brett Gardner and his wife Jessica announced the death of their son Miller after a sudden illness during their vacation on March 23.

According to the OIJ, Gardner and his family were on vacation at the hotel in Manuel Antonio, a town on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.