Authorities in Los Angeles have taken a 12-year-old student into custody on murder charges following the death of a classmate who suffered fatal head injuries from a metal water bottle attack during what police describe as a bullying incident.
The juvenile suspect was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder in connection with the February 25th death of 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa, according to Los Angeles Police Officer Charles Miller. The district attorney’s office confirmed Friday they are reviewing the case for potential charges.
Due to the ages of both the victim and suspect, Miller stated he could not provide additional details about the investigation.
According to the victim’s family, Khimberly sustained the fatal blow to her head on February 17th while attempting to defend her older sister Sharon Zavaleta from a group of students who were bullying her at Reseda Charter High School, which serves both high school and middle school students.
Family attorney Robert Glassman emphasized in a Friday email statement: “This arrest is an important step toward accountability, but an arrest alone does not equal justice and does not answer the larger question of how this was allowed to happen in the first place.”
Following the attack, Khimberly was transported to Valley Presbyterian Hospital for evaluation and discharged the same day. However, her condition deteriorated, and three days later she was rushed to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, where medical staff placed her in an induced coma and performed emergency brain surgery to address internal bleeding. She passed away on February 25th.
The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging that both sisters endured months of bullying, harassment and physical attacks at school. Glassman stated that despite their mother’s repeated reports to school administrators, officials failed to take action to protect the students.
“The focus cannot stop with one student — there must be a hard look at what the adults in charge knew, when they knew it, and why meaningful action wasn’t taken sooner,” Glassman said.
While the family is considering legal action against Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Glassman said their primary focus remains on supporting one another and ensuring the school district is held responsible for its failure to intervene before the fatal incident occurred.
LAUSD representatives declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.
This incident follows another tragic case last month in Georgia, where 12-year-old sixth-grader Jada West died several days after collapsing following a physical altercation with another Mason Creek Middle School student near a bus stop in her neighborhood.
