2 men held in college student’s death

Two men have been arrested in the February death of the daughter of the state’s top transportation official. The 21-year-old college student was allegedly raped by her boyfriend while she was unconscious and dying of a drug overdose.

Summer Kempton, the daughter of California Department of Transportation Director Will Kempton, died Feb. 4, after three days on life support.

Sgt. Micki Links, supervisor of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department sexual assault unit, said Summer Kempton, her boyfriend and his friend had been taking Ecstasy and prescription drugs in her apartment near American River College before the young woman passed out. Links said Kempton’s boyfriend, Andres Arturo Tostado, 22, allegedly raped her while she was unconscious. After several hours, Tostado and his friend, Jacob Edwards, 23, called 911.

Tostado was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of raping an unconscious victim and involuntary manslaughter. Edwards was in custody in Placer County on a charge of driving under the influence and was arrested Thursday on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.

Links said Tostado and Edwards are facing the involuntary manslaughter charge because “they helped provide the means by which [Kempton] died” and “they failed to give her aid” in a timely manner “that possibly would have saved her life, according to doctors.”

Kempton and Tostado met at American River College, where Kempton was a student, and dated for about a year, Links said.

Will Kempton said in a statement that his daughter “is sorely missed by her family and friends.”

“We were deeply saddened by the recent loss of our daughter and are very troubled by the tragic circumstances surrounding her death,” Kempton said in the statement. “Summer was an extremely caring person, a good student and an accomplished athlete.”