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"There was basically a drinking contest between a small group of friends, " said Berkeley police officer and spokesman Kevin Schofield. "There's no signs of foul play."
Saucedo, a junior, transferred to UC Berkeley in the fall of 2003 from Pasadena City College, said Cal spokeswoman Janet Gilmore.
Saucedo's roommate, Robert Tinoco, 22, said Saucedo's cousin and four friends from Los Angeles arrived Thursday to spend the weekend. They decided to have a drinking contest Thursday night, and Saucedo served as the bartender, doling out shots of tequila, vodka and whiskey, Tinoco said.
"Steve was a competitive guy," Tinoco said. "Whenever he would hang out with friends, whether it was bowling or whatever, he wanted to win. This time it was a drinking challenge."
Tinoco, a student at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, has known Saucedo for 13 years. Tinoco said he spent most of the night in his room because he was not on spring break and had homework to finish. He said he last saw Saucedo alive was when Saucedo, who appeared quite drunk, came into his room and accidentally squished the clay statue he was sculpting.
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