A 12-year-old girl died days after she was struck in the head with a metal water bottle during a fight at a Los Angeles school, according to her family, who said she was left needing emergency brain surgery.
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the death of Khimberly Zavaleta on Wednesday, February 25, as a homicide, a spokesman for the department, Jeffrey Lee, confirmed to the Los Angeles Times.
Another 12-year-old is accused of hitting Khimberly with a water bottle on February 17, when her family said Khimberly was trying to protect her sister against alleged bullies at Reseda Charter High School, the newspaper reported. The charter high school is also attended by students in middle school.
Khimberly experienced a brain hemorrhage days after the incident and was taken to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, where medical staff placed her into a medically induced coma and performed “complex emergency brain surgery,” according to a GoFundMe page created in support of Khimberly’s funeral costs and medical expenses.
“As the baby of our family, she brought a special light and joy into our lives,” the page reads. “She loved her family, music, volleyball, walks with her two beloved dogs, and had many dreams for the future.”
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Khimberly died around 3:30 a.m. on February 25 with her family next to her.
“Her family remained by her side, praying and hoping she would come home, but at 3:30AM, her heart gave out,” the GoFundMe page says.
Elma Chuquipa, Khimberly’s mother, told KABC-TV that on February 17, multiple students had been bullying Khimberly’s older sister, including a boy who allegedly pushed 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 to the TV station, explaining that a student had allegedly thrown the water bottle at Khimberly.
There is a video of the altercation, according to the TV station.
“They were hitting her sister — my eldest daughter,” Chuquipa told KABC-TV. “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.”
Several students took part in a protest on Friday, February 27, in response to Khimberly’s death, NBC News reported.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division is leading the investigation into her death, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The department did not immediately respond to an inquiry and request for comment from Us Weekly on Monday, March 2.
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“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,” police said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles Unified School District said in a statement to the newspaper that the district is “deeply saddened” by the incident and will be supporting students and families by providing “counseling services and additional resources.”
“We are currently cooperating with law enforcement in connection with this incident,” the statement also said, in part.
“Her passing has left our family in unimaginable pain,” the GoFundMe page says. “No parents should ever have to endure the loss of their youngest child.”
