Her family says she was struck in the head by a metal water bottle during a school bullying incident.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles police are investigating the death of a 12-year-old girl as a possible homicide after her family said she was injured during a bullying incident at a Reseda campus and died days later after surgery and a hospital stay.
The case has put renewed focus on school safety and how quickly a hallway fight can turn into a life-or-death emergency. The Los Angeles Police Department opened the investigation after the girl died following treatment for a severe brain injury, while school officials offered grief counseling and support services for students and staff.
The girl’s family identified her as Khimberly Zavaleta and said she was a sixth-grader who went to school on a campus in the Reseda area of Los Angeles. Relatives said the incident happened Feb. 15 when another student threw a metal water bottle that hit her in the head. Family members said the girl was trying to protect her younger sister when the confrontation unfolded in a hallway. “I’m devastated. I’m full of pain, thinking about how I will never see my daughter again,” her mother, Elma Chuquipa, said in Spanish in an interview broadcast by local NBC television coverage.
Family members said the injury did not look like a crisis at first, but her symptoms worsened quickly over the next several days. They said Khimberly complained of severe headaches after the blow and was taken for medical care, then later collapsed as her condition deteriorated. Relatives said doctors found bleeding in her brain and she was rushed for emergency treatment. She was placed into an induced coma and underwent surgery, but she died Feb. 25, about 10 days after the alleged attack. Police and school officials have not publicly identified any suspected attacker, and it was not immediately clear whether anyone has been arrested.
Investigators are now working to sort out what happened at the campus, what was seen on any security cameras, and what students and staff reported before and after the injury. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed it opened a homicide investigation after the girl’s death. Homicide investigations can include cases where detectives are still determining whether a death was caused by a criminal act and what level of charges, if any, might apply. Police did not immediately release details about the timing of interviews, whether a weapon was recovered, or whether the injury matched accounts provided by family members and classmates. Detectives also did not say whether the student believed to have thrown the bottle has been interviewed with a guardian present.
The school community began grieving publicly as the investigation started. A memorial of flowers, candles and handwritten notes was set up outside Reseda High School, where relatives and friends gathered to remember Khimberly. Some mourners placed stuffed animals near messages describing her as kind and protective, reflecting her family’s account that she stepped in to defend her sister. Neighbors said the memorial grew as more people learned about the case through local news reports and social media posts from friends and family. School officials said they were providing support resources to students and employees, while district leaders expressed condolences to the family and those affected.
The case also raised questions about how schools respond to bullying reports and student conflicts before they escalate. The family has described the incident as part of bullying, but police and school officials have not publicly detailed any prior complaints or disciplinary history involving the students. It was not clear whether administrators had documented earlier problems, whether the students were in the same classes, or whether staff had been alerted to threats or ongoing harassment. Those details can become central in an investigation when detectives and school officials try to determine if warning signs were missed and whether adequate supervision and intervention were in place.
For now, investigators are expected to review medical findings, interview students and staff, and collect school records and any video that could help establish a clear timeline. Police have not announced a public briefing date, and prosecutors have not said whether charges are being considered. In California, cases involving minors can involve separate juvenile court procedures and restrictions on what authorities can release publicly. The classification of the case as a homicide investigation does not, by itself, mean charges will be filed, but it signals detectives are treating the death as potentially caused by a criminal act pending further evidence.
Outside the campus, relatives said they want accountability and answers about how the injury happened and how quickly she received care. Family members said they are also speaking out because they believe other students may be at risk if bullying is not addressed early. At the memorial, some mourners said the death shook them because the object described, a metal water bottle, is common in schools and sports. “This should not happen to anybody’s kid,” a family supporter said in an interview aired by local television coverage, as people wiped away tears and hugged near the candles and flowers.
As of Sunday, police had not publicly identified a suspect or announced an arrest, and the school district had not released a detailed account of the incident. Investigators are expected to continue interviews and review evidence as they determine whether the death will lead to juvenile charges or other legal action, with the next milestone likely to be a police update once the initial evidence review is complete.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.