LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former child actor Daveigh Chase's death on June 16 was due to AIDS, the office of the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner reported.
The cause of death for Chase, 35, was acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, according to online medical examiner records from this week that listed her last name as Schwallier. “Chronic polysubstance abuse” was listed under “other significant conditions.”
Chase was known for voicing the lead role of Lilo in Disney's “Lilo & Stitch” and her performance in the 2002 horror film “The Ring.”
After her death in a Los Angeles hospital, her father John David Schwallier, confirmed to The New York Times that she died from complications of bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. She was homeless in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, he said.
Chase struggled with drugs since she was 13 years old, Schwallier told the Times. He said his daughter was estranged from her parents, who are divorced.
In a text message to The Associated Press on Tuesday about AIDS being the cause of death, her father said, “I know with her lifestyle that was probably the conclusion so I'm not surprised.”
Calling her death tragic, he added, “It would've been nice for all of you to find her and try and help her that would've been a nicer story than this.”
Chase auditioned for Lilo at age 8. For her role as the long-haired Samara in “The Ring,” she won an MTV Movie Award for best villain.
Chase also voiced another lead in the 2001 animated film “Spirited Away.” She had roles in the 2001 movie “Donnie Darko” and the 2003 show “Oliver Beene,” according to her profile page on the internet movie database IMDb.com.
She was born in Las Vegas and raised in the small town of Albany, Oregon. She began singing and dancing at age 3, according to IMDb.
FILE - Actor Daveigh Chase poses at the Season 5 premiere of HBO series "Big Love," in Los Angeles on Jan. 12, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Rays' Junior Caminero is bringing his sweet swing back to the All-Star Home Run Derby.
The Tampa Bay slugger committed Tuesday to participating in the event in Philadelphia on July 13, then promptly offered fans a reminder of why they should be excited to watch him: Caminero belted a three-run homer in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals, making it five consecutive games in which the 22-year-old third baseman has gone deep.
Ryan Vilade followed him with a homer of his own on the very next pitch from the Royals' Noah Cameron.
Caminero, who has hit 23 homers already this season, has hit eight of them in the last seven games alone. He had seven homers and 15 RBIs last week, making him the no-doubt choice for the American League player of the week.
Caminero put on a show last year in the Home Run Derby with his multicolored bat, advancing to the final round before losing a close contest to Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh. The final was 18-15 in a long-ball hitting showcase that boosted ratings on ESPN.
Caminero, who turns 23 on Sunday, went on to hit 45 homers last season, finishing sixth in Major League Baseball.
In an era of faster-paced games thanks in part to the implementation of a pitch clock, MLB has decided to eliminate a similar clock from its Home Run Derby this summer. Each hitter will have 20 swings in the first round of this year’s contest. The change coincides with a switch in broadcaster to Netflix from ESPN, which had televised the event since 1994.
Any player who homers on his 20th swing will keep on swinging until he doesn’t connect for home run. The top four hitters advance, with the distance of the longest homer being used as the tiebreaker if necessary.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout recently said it is unlikely he will participate in the event.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero hits an RBI single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero celebrates his three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, June 25, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero hits a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, June 25, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
