An replace from the L.A. County health worker raises new questions concerning the sudden demise of 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa.
Khimberly was a seemingly wholesome pupil at Reseda Constitution Excessive when she was struck within the head with a steel water bottle throughout an altercation with campus bullies on Feb. 17, in line with her household. Days later, she was rushed to the hospital for emergency mind surgical procedure, positioned in a medically induced coma and died.
In April, the Los Angeles Police Division arrested a juvenile suspect on suspicion of homicide in connection to Khimberly’s demise. Khimberly’s household has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the Los Angeles Unified College District, alleging that their daughter had been repeatedly harassed on campus and workers did not take reviews of bullying severely.
Nevertheless, on Tuesday the L.A. County health worker dominated that Khimberly’s demise was not a murder however a results of pure causes. The health worker cited a “spontaneous rupture” of blood vessels within the mind attributable to an underlying medical situation.
Khimberly had a cerebral arteriovenous malformation, in line with the M.E. It is a uncommon situation current at start the place arteries within the mind are clustered tightly collectively, placing them at excessive danger of rupture.
“Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are an meeting of fragile, tangled, high-pressure blood vessels which might be susceptible to spontaneously rupturing, particularly when situated within the area of the mind as found in Khimberly,” Dr. Odey Ukpo, chief health worker, stated in an announcement. “Catastrophic bleeding as a consequence of a rupture develops shortly — inside seconds to minutes — and is instantly life-threatening.”
The information launch notes that Khimberly was reportedly struck on the again of the top 4 days days earlier than being hospitalized, however doesn’t draw any connection between that incident and the following mind bleed.
Robert Glassman, the household’s lawyer, stated that the health worker’s dedication “ignores the simple actuality” of what occurred to Khimberly.
A health worker’s report has cited an underlying medical situation within the demise of Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa.
(Picture courtesy of Man David Gazi)
“Earlier than this incident, Khimberly was a wholesome, vibrant 12-year-old woman with no signs, no medical disaster, and no indication that her AVM posed any hazard to her life,” stated Glassman, a companion with Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP. “Then she was struck within the head at college with an aluminum water bottle, complained of significant head ache, and inside days suffered catastrophic mind bleeding that took her life.”
Glassman stated the health worker’s replace doesn’t have an effect on the civil case, which is concerning the district’s inaction in defending a baby in misery.
“If Khimberly had an underlying situation that made her extra susceptible to harm,” he acknowledged, “that doesn’t excuse the conduct that led to her demise.”
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified College District didn’t remark straight on the health worker’s replace Tuesday, however stated that the district is deeply saddened by Khimberly’s demise and that “our ideas and condolences are with the scholar’s household, buddies, and your entire college neighborhood.” The district doesn’t touch upon pending litigation, the spokesperson stated.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Division stated there is no such thing as a replace into the investigation into Khimberly’s demise.
An identical controversy performed out in 2024, when 16-year-old LAUSD pupil Shaylee Mejia suffered a deadly mind hemorrhage days after a campus combat.
Her mom believed that the demise was results of bullying at Guide Arts Excessive College in South L.A. and likewise blamed college directors for failing to answer prior reviews of campus harassment.
A video captured of the March 5, 2024, combat confirmed Shaylee hitting her head in opposition to a rest room stall. Nevertheless, a last post-mortem report decided that there was no hyperlink between the combat and the following mind bleed, as a substitute citing accidents Shaylee suffered after falling down some stairs days after the combat passed off.
Shaylee’s reason behind demise was dominated an accident, and the Los Angeles Police Division dropped its investigation into the incident.
