12-year-old girl dies following alleged Reseda bullying incident; LAPD investigating as homicide

Bullying linked to death of Reseda middle school student

A family says a bullying incident at a Reseda middle school is linked to the death of a 12-year-old girl. 

LOS ANGELES - Flowers and candles lay outside Reseda High School Friday night for 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa.

The 6th grader's family says she tragically died after a bullying incident happened at the middle school. Now the family says they want to share Khimberly's story to prevent other kids from enduring similar bullying incidents.

What they're saying:

"It's a big loss for us," said Khimberly’s uncle, Guy Gazit.

Gazit, among other family members, mourned the loss of 12-year-old Khimberly outside the high school Friday.

The family says the 6th grader tragically died days after a bullying incident at the middle school.

Teen's bullying death being investigated as a homicide

A 6th grade student at a Reseda middle school died days after being hit in the head with a metal water bottle. The case, which her parents say is related to bullying, is now being investigated as a homicide. 

"It's a cautionary tale that this should not happen to anybody's kid," said Gazit.

Her family says a metal bottle was thrown at her and struck her in the head.

Days after the incident her family said Khimberly had a major headache, was rushed to the hospital, and ultimately had brain surgery but did not survive.

Her family says  Khimberly was a bright young girl who loved volleyball and wanted to learn French.

Earlier in the day, Khimberly's friends rallied outside the school calling for justice for the 12-year-old.

Family friends have set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the family.

The Los Anges Police Department says they are investigating this case as a homicide, but given that this case involves juveniles, the department is not releasing any more information at this time.

"Its 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," said Gazit.  

Los Angeles Unified School District has released the following statement, "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, friends, and the entire school community. Out of respect for the family and to protect confidentiality, we cannot share details. The District remains committed to providing support to students, staff, and families affected by this loss, including counseling services and additional resources on campus. The District takes the safety and well-being of our students very seriously. We are currently cooperating with law enforcement in connection with this incident."