A 12-year-old Southern California girl has died days after she was struck in the head during what her family says was a bullying incident at school, prompting a homicide investigation and renewed concerns about student safety and pediatric head trauma protocols.
Khimberly Zavaleta, a student at Reseda High School in Los Angeles, was injured in a hallway altercation during school dismissal, according to her family. They allege another student threw a metal water bottle that hit her in the head.
Khimberly’s mother, Elma Chuquipa, told ABC Los Angeles affiliate KABC that her daughter had stepped in to defend her older sister, who she said was being confronted by a group of students.
“At dismissal time, she was in the school hallway,” Chuquipa told the outlet. “A tall boy came up to her… 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.’”
Chuquipa said her daughter tried to pull her sister away from the group when the object was thrown.
“My daughter goes and pulls her away, so they don’t hit her sister, and that’s when [Khimberly] gets hit in the head,” she said.
Video of the confrontation was recorded by other students, though Chuquipa said the footage does not clearly show the moment the water bottle was thrown.
According to the family, Khimberly was initially evaluated at a hospital and released. In the days that followed, her condition deteriorated.
“We took her to the emergency room, where she arrived with no vitals,” Chuquipa told KABC. “They tore her clothes, they gave her CPR. I was very scared. I cried a lot. I had this hope that she would get up from where she was.”
Doctors later discovered severe bleeding in her brain, her mother said. Khimberly was intubated and transferred to UCLA Children’s Hospital, where she was placed in a medically induced coma and underwent emergency brain surgery.
“The doctor said, ‘We’re going to have to perform surgery… it’s a six-hour surgery,’” Chuquipa recalled. “I told the doctor, ‘Save my daughter.’”
At one point, physicians discussed an additional operation but warned the family that her chances of survival were extremely slim, according to Chuquipa. Ultimately, doctors determined her brain was no longer functioning.
Khimberly died around 3:30 a.m., her family said.
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“As the baby of our family, she brought a special light and joy into our lives,” her relatives wrote on a GoFundMe page established in her honor. They described her as a loving daughter who enjoyed music, volleyball and spending time with her two dogs, and who had “many dreams for the future.”
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to KABC that its Robbery-Homicide Division is investigating the case as a homicide but has declined to release additional details because the incident involves juveniles.
The Los Angeles Unified School District said it is cooperating with law enforcement and offering support services on campus.
“The Los Angeles Unified School District is deeply saddened by the death of a Reseda High School student. Our thoughts and condolences are with the student’s family and the entire school community,” a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. The district added that it cannot share further details out of respect for the family and student confidentiality but remains committed to student safety.
On Friday, students gathered on campus to protest and show support for Khimberly’s family.
“God is touching the heart of many people who are coming to ask for justice and to support me,” Chuquipa told KABC. “I feel happy that at some point there will be justice.”
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In the wake of her daughter’s death, Chuquipa said she now fears sending her older child back to school.
“I already lost one daughter, and I don’t want to lose her too,” she said.
The family has also launched a petition urging lawmakers to pass what they are calling “The Khimberly Act,” which would establish standardized national protocols for evaluating children with head injuries. The proposed legislation calls for clearer imaging requirements, documented neurological monitoring and uniform training for medical providers treating pediatric head trauma.
Citing federal health data showing that traumatic brain injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among children, the petition argues that head injuries may appear minor at first but can quickly turn life-threatening.
“No parent should ever hear, ‘We didn’t think it was necessary,’” the petition states.
For Khimberly’s loved ones, the focus now is both on accountability and remembrance.
“No parents should ever have to endure the loss of their youngest child,” her family wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the LAPD for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
