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Inset: Khimberly Zavaleta (GoFundMe). Background: Reseda Charter High School in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, Calif. (Google Maps).
Tragedy struck in California as a 12-year-old girl lost her life, and another 12-year-old is now under investigation for allegedly causing her death with a metal water bottle during a confrontation that involved several students, according to the deceased girl’s family.
The young victim, Khimberly Zavaleta, passed away in February following an episode of violent bullying at Reseda Charter High School, located on Kittridge Street in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. Her family has recounted the distressing events that led to this tragic outcome.
Interestingly, Khimberly was not initially targeted by the bullying, as law enforcement revealed. On that fateful day, she bravely intervened to protect her older sister, who was being harassed by a group of students. Tragically, it was during this act of courage that Khimberly suffered a fatal blow to the head from a bottle, her relatives reported.
The Los Angeles Police Department has classified the incident as a homicide and is actively investigating the case.
The attack took place on February 17, and Khimberly was promptly taken to a hospital following the assault. She was eventually discharged and sent home, as detailed in a report by City News Service, a Southern California-based news wire.
On Feb. 19, while playing video games, she suffered what her family referred to in a GoFundMe campaign as “a catastrophic medical emergency.”
An uncle later clarified the girl suffered a stroke after days of lingering headaches, according to The New York Times.
“Major blood vessels in her brain ruptured, and she was rushed to UCLA Children’s Hospital, placed in an induced coma, and underwent complex emergency brain surgery,” the fundraiser explains.
On Feb. 20, around 3:30 a.m., Khimberly’s “heart gave out,” with her family at her side, according to the online fundraiser.
Law enforcement, for its part, is largely keeping mum about the girl’s death. But the LAPD has said the case is being investigated by the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Bureau Section.
“Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation and the involved parties being juveniles, at this time, we are not releasing any further information related to the case,” the LAPD said in a statement.
The child’s family has offered some details.
Over the weekend, Khimberly’s mother, Elma Chuquipa, spoke with Los Angeles-based ABC West Coast flagship KABC. She described how the family understood the bullying situation at the school.
“At dismissal time, she was in the school hallway when a tall boy came up to her,” she said. “He was pushing her, and my daughter told him, ‘What’s your problem with me? Let’s go to the principal’s office and talk about it,’ but he ignored her.”
That’s when the younger girl went up to try and get her sister.
“My daughter goes and pulls her away, so they don’t hit her sister, and that’s when [Khimberly] gets hit in the head,” Chuquipa said.
At least part of the fight was captured on video, according to KABC. The footage reportedly does not show the bottle being thrown.
“They were hitting her sister — my eldest daughter,” Chuquipa continued. “In the video, you can see them pulling [Khimberly]. At one point, they hit her hard on the head, which led her to where she is now — in a morgue.”
The girl’s mother went on to say that her daughter was shuttled between various hospitals and the family agreed she would undergo a six-hour surgery in order to remove blood that had accumulated around Khimberly’s brain.
“As a mother, I felt so bad,” Chuquipa told KABC. “We got together with my family…when we got together with my family, we agreed to do the surgery, which was a 1% chance, and I said, ‘There is hope.’ When we met with the doctors, they decided not to operate because my daughter’s brain was already dead.”
The Los Angeles Unified School District said it is cooperating with the LAPD in a statement which says officials are “deeply saddened” by Khimberly’s death. That statement demurs on providing details out of “respect for the family and to protect confidentiality.”
“The District remains committed to providing support to students, staff, and families affected by this loss, including counseling services and additional resources on campus,” the statement goes on. “The District takes the safety and well-being of our students very seriously. We are currently cooperating with law enforcement in connection with this incident.”
The charter high school includes grades 6 to 8.
On Feb. 27, a group of students at the school staged a demonstration in support of Khimberly and her family, KABC reported.
The GoFundMe is raising money for funeral services, medical expenses, time off work to grieve, and for the family to “move out of this district to a safer school for Khimberly’s siblings.”
“As the baby of our family, she brought a special light and joy into our lives,” the fundraiser reads. “She loved her family, music, volleyball, walks with her two beloved dogs, and had many dreams for the future.”