A 12-year-old girl from Los Angeles died on February 25, 2026, following an incident at Reseda Charter High School in the San Fernando Valley. Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa was reportedly trying to protect her sister from bullying when another student threw a metal water bottle that struck her in the back of the head.
She complained of a severe headache, was taken to a hospital, and was discharged the same day on February 17. Four days later, on February 21, she returned to the hospital in distress. Doctors diagnosed a brain hemorrhage. She underwent emergency brain surgery but passed away on February 25.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as a spontaneously ruptured cerebellar arteriovenous malformation, a congenital condition involving tangled, fragile blood vessels in the brain. The manner of death was classified as natural. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo stated that such AVMs can rupture spontaneously and cause catastrophic bleeding within seconds to minutes, with no external trigger required.
Khimberly’s family and their attorney, Robert Glassman, strongly dispute the official ruling. They argue that even with an underlying AVM, the physical trauma from the metal water bottle strike likely triggered the fatal rupture.
The family plans to continue pursuing a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District over alleged failures to address prior bullying reports. A juvenile was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the case, though no further details about the arrest or the suspect have been released.
The incident has drawn significant attention to issues of school bullying, student safety, and how pre-existing medical conditions interact with physical trauma. Khimberly’s family has stated that she was trying to protect her sister at the time of the incident. No information about her sister has been publicly released. The school district has not issued a public statement regarding the family’s allegations.
The criminal case against the juvenile is proceeding alongside the family’s civil action against the school district. No updates on the status of either case have been provided. Khimberly’s death continues to spark discussions about accountability in Los Angeles schools and whether prior bullying reports were adequately addressed.
Khimberly was 12 years old. She was a student at Reseda Charter High School. She died from a brain hemorrhage days after being struck by a metal water bottle. Those are the facts her family is sharing as they fight for answers. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s ruling remains natural causes. The family disagrees. The legal battles continue. No further details have been released.
