Police officers arrested a minor in connection with the death of a 12-year-old girl who died after her family said she was struck in the head with a metal water bottle at a Los Angeles school.
The juvenile was arrested on a charge of suspicion of murder in relation to Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa’s death on February 25, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times.
The department confirmed to Luxury Handbag Shopping via email on Friday, April 3, that a juvenile has been booked on a murder charge in her death.
“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,” LAPD officer David Cuellar said.
Khimberly died about a week after the alleged attack at Reseda Charter High School on February 17, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Her family has described the attack as a bullying incident that resulted in Khimberly having a brain hemorrhage and needing emergency surgery, according to a GoFundMe page established in support of the girl’s funeral costs and medical expenses, Us previously reported.
“As the baby of our family, she brought a special light and joy into our lives,” the GoFundMe page reads. “She loved her family, music, volleyball, walks with her two beloved dogs, and had many dreams for the future.”
The age of the juvenile reportedly arrested in Khimberly’s death has not been released by authorities.
Robert Glassman, an attorney representing Khimberly’s family, said in a statement shared with CBS News that “This arrest is an important step toward accountability, but it does not change the bigger truth: this tragedy was entirely preventable.”
Khimberly’s family has since taken legal action against the Los Angeles Unified School District in connection with her death, the Los Angeles Times reported. Her mother argued in a wrongful death claim reviewed by the newspaper that the district did not take measures to address her reports that Khimberly and her other daughter had been bullied at their school.
According to her family, Khimberly had tried to protect her sister from students allegedly bullying her older sister before she was hit in the head with a metal water bottle by a fellow 12-year-old student, the newspaper reported.
“Days later, she suffered a catastrophic medical emergency,” reads the GoFundMe page. “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.”
In response to a request for comment from Us, a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson said in an emailed statement on April 3 that the district “is deeply saddened by the death of a Reseda High School student.”
“Out of respect for the family and to protect confidentiality, we cannot share details,” the spokesperson also said. “The District remains committed to providing support to students, staff, and families affected by this loss, including counseling services and additional resources on campus.”
While speaking out about her daughter’s death, Khimberly’s mother, Elma Chuquipa said in Spanish that she felt “destroyed,” according to CBS News.
“It’s not easy to lose a child,” Chuquipa also said. “It’s not easy to see your child dying in a bed.”
