Police are investigating the death of a 12-year-old student from the Reseda area after her family said she suffered a serious head injury at school when another student threw a metal water bottle that hit her in a hallway.
Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa died early Wed., Feb. 25, after days of medical care that included emergency brain surgery and time in a coma, relatives said. The Los Angeles Police Department opened a homicide investigation, a classification that can be used while detectives work to confirm how an injury happened and whether a crime occurred. The case has drawn attention across the San Fernando Valley because it involves a campus used by both middle school and high school students, and because classmates and family members have pushed for clearer answers about what happened before and after the injury.
Relatives said the injury happened in mid-February on the campus of Reseda Charter High School, a school in the West Valley that serves grades six through 12. Her mother, Elma Chuquipa, said her daughter was trying to protect her sister during what the family described as bullying. In the family’s account, another student threw a metal bottle in a hallway and it struck Khimberly in the head. Family members said she soon complained of pain and developed severe headaches over the next several days. Some accounts placed the hallway incident on Feb. 15, while another report described it as happening on Tue., Feb. 17, and detectives have not released a confirmed date or a detailed timeline of the minutes after the strike.
Family members said Khimberly was taken for medical care more than once as her symptoms worsened. They said she was initially evaluated and sent home, but later collapsed after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Relatives said she was rushed back to a hospital, where doctors found significant bleeding in her brain, and she was later transferred to a UCLA children’s hospital for specialized treatment. A family fundraiser said major blood vessels in her brain ruptured, and relatives said she underwent emergency surgery and was placed in an induced coma. She died about 3:30 a.m. Feb. 25, her family said, after doctors tried to save her.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the investigation is being handled by detectives assigned to the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division and investigators in the Valley Bureau. Police have not announced any arrests, and they have not identified a suspect, citing the involvement of juveniles and the limits that can place on what officials release. Investigators have also not said what evidence they have collected, including whether school surveillance video captured the hallway where the family says the bottle was thrown, or whether they are reviewing phone videos recorded by students. Police have not said whether they have interviewed school staff members or how many witnesses they have spoken with.
Detectives have not publicly described whether medical findings have formally connected the reported hallway strike to the cause of death, though relatives and several classmates have said they believe the injury started the chain of events. Authorities have not released an autopsy summary or a coroner’s report, and they have not said when a final medical examiner determination might be completed. Police have also not said whether they have presented evidence to prosecutors or requested juvenile charges. Any case involving a student suspect would typically move through juvenile court, where hearings and filings can be sealed and names are generally not released.
Los Angeles Unified School District officials said they were cooperating with law enforcement but could not share details out of respect for the family and because the case involves minors. In a statement, the district said it was deeply saddened by the death of a student from the Reseda school community and said it takes student safety seriously. The district said counseling and additional support were being provided on campus for students and employees affected by the death, but officials did not address questions about supervision, discipline, or whether prior conflicts had been reported. School administrators have not publicly discussed whether any internal review is underway, and district leaders have not outlined what information might be shared once the investigation reaches later stages.
Outside the campus, grief quickly turned into public displays of mourning and demands for accountability. Students and neighbors built a memorial of candles, flowers and handwritten notes near the school’s entrance, and classmates gathered for a protest on Fri., Feb. 27. Dayari Diaz, a friend, said the group wanted answers and described Khimberly as someone who brought energy to those around her. “We’re all sad,” Diaz said, adding that Khimberly “was always happy” and was known for smiling. Her uncle, Guy Gazit, said the loss had been overwhelming for relatives facing funeral plans and unanswered questions. “It’s a big loss for us,” he said.
As of Sun., March 1, police had released no suspect information and no new public findings about the medical evidence. The next major milestone is expected to be the completion of medical examiner work and any decision by prosecutors on whether to file juvenile charges tied to the school incident.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.