US Couple Found Dead at Mexican Resort

An American couple vacationing at a luxury hotel in Mexico has been found dead in their hotel room, reports ABC News. John Heathco, 41, and Abby Lutz, 28, both from Newport Beach, California, were found in the Hotel Rancho Pescadero in Baja California Sur state. The investigation continues, but local authorities say in a statement that the cause of death was "intoxication by substance to be determined." Both were dead by the time paramedics arrived at their hotel room in the community of El Pescadero on Tuesday.

The AP notes that several similar deaths in Mexico have ultimately been blamed on the accidental inhalation of carbon monoxide or other gases, thanks to leaky stoves or water heaters. The US State Department says it is aware of the deaths and is keeping tabs on the investigation. "We are shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved Abby," said the family of Lutz in a statement. "Abby had an adventurous spirit and a wonderfully kind heart." (In other tourist deaths in Mexico, tainted alcohol has been blamed.)