Twelve-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa has died after what her family says began as a bullying incident inside her school hallway. Now, police are investigating her death as a possible homicide.
According to reports from local outlets, Khimberly was allegedly struck in the head with a metal water bottle by another student about 10 days before her death. The incident reportedly happened at Reseda High School in Los Angeles, which serves students in grades six through 12.
In the days that followed, her family says the sixth grader complained of severe headaches. They took her to the emergency room, but she was sent home. Days later, tragedy struck.
Khimberly collapsed after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Major blood vessels in her brain had ruptured, according to a GoFundMe page created after her passing. She was rushed to UCLA Children’s Hospital, placed in an induced coma, and underwent emergency brain surgery.
Her loved ones never left her side.
“They remained by her side, praying and hoping she would come home,” the fundraiser states. “But at 3:30 a.m., her heart gave out.”
The Los Angeles Police Department is now investigating her death as a homicide. Authorities have not released additional details about the case or whether any arrests have been made.
Outside Reseda High School, a memorial has grown as classmates, teachers, and community members gather to grieve. Flowers, candles, and handwritten notes line the entrance in honor of a life cut heartbreakingly short.
On the GoFundMe page, Khimberly’s family described her as the baby of the family who brought “a special light and joy” into their lives. She loved music, volleyball, walking her two dogs, and had big dreams for the future.
Her mother, Elma, shared her devastation in an emotional interview.
“I’m devastated. I’m full of pain, thinking about how I will never see my daughter again,” she said.
Khimberly’s uncle, Guy Gazit, called it every family’s worst fear.
“It’s a cautionary tale that this should not happen to anybody’s kid,” he said. “It’s a fear of every parent, every uncle and every brother and every loved one to lose someone, but especially when it is someone who is so young that did nothing wrong to anybody.”
The Los Angeles Unified School District released a statement saying it is “deeply saddened” by the student’s death and is cooperating with law enforcement. The district said it cannot share details out of respect for the family and confidentiality concerns but emphasized that counseling and support services are being made available on campus.
“The District takes the safety and well-being of our students very seriously,” the statement read.
The boy that hit her should be confined until investigation is finished .
I am a retired teacher. Where in the heck were the teachers who are SUPPOSED to be in the hallways between classes and when a child is being bullied? I would clear a spot and throw a fit whenever I saw ANYONE who even looked like they were going to pick on someone! Bullies MUST be dealt with!