A child reportedly has been arrested for murder in connection with the death of a 12-year-old girl who was protecting her sister amid an alleged bullying incident at a Los Angeles school.
KCBS-TV said the Los Angeles Police Department did not provide many details about the individual arrested, stating only that the person is a minor arrested for murder. KNBC-TV said police noted the arrest Thursday.
'On the afternoon of Feb. 17, Khimberly was trying to protect her sister. She stepped in when the school didn’t.'
The family of Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa, the girl who died, said she was struck in the head with a metal bottle at Reseda Charter High School on Feb. 17, KCBS reported.
Days after the incident, Khimberly was rushed to a hospital, where doctors discovered severe bleeding in her brain, KCBS said.
She spent days in a coma and underwent surgery, but Khimberly died at a hospital in late February, her mother told KNBC.
The victim's family said she was trying to protect her sister amid an alleged bullying incident, KNBC reported.
"I'm devastated. I'm full of pain, thinking about how I will never see my daughter again," Elma Chuquipa, Khimberly's mother, told KNBC in Spanish.
The victim's family filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District in March, accusing the district of failing to protect students from bullying, KNBC reported.
“On the afternoon of Feb. 17, Khimberly was trying to protect her sister. She stepped in when the school didn’t,” Robert Glassman, the family’s attorney, said during news conference last month, KNBC noted. “This tragedy really highlights and underscores the very real and very devastating consequences of unchecked bullying.”
What's more, the family alleged that Khimberly's sister had been bullied prior to the February incident, but the school “did not do anything," KNBC added.
In addition, the family said that despite numerous attempts to get more information about what led to the February attack against Khimberly, the LAUSD refused to share details, KNBC reported.
The LAUSD said in a February statement that the incident "deeply saddened" administrators, KCBS noted.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with the student's family, friends, and the entire school community," a district spokesperson said, according to KCBS. "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."
Police confirmed last month that a homicide investigation was under way following Khimberly’s death, KNBC said.
"This arrest is an important step toward accountability, but it does not change the bigger truth: this tragedy was entirely preventable," Glassman wrote in a statement, according to KCBS.
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A former Los Angeles Unified School District employee and the owner of a technology vendor were charged Thursday for their alleged involvement in a $22 million kickback scheme that funneled taxpayer funds away from classrooms and into their own pockets.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced charges against Hong "Grace" Peng, 53, of Pasadena, and Gautham Sampath, 53, of Flower Mound, Texas.
'This case involves a blatant abuse of public trust — funneling taxpayer dollars intended for students into personal coffers.'
Peng previously worked as a technical project manager for LAUSD between 2018 and 2022. She was accused of illegally participating in the awarding of contracts. Peng allegedly unlawfully issued contracts totaling over $22 million to a company owned by Sampath.
Sampath was accused of laundering over $3 million to Peng.
Peng resigned from her position with LAUSD following a late-2022 search warrant related to an investigation into alleged illegal activity. Peng was charged with money laundering and one felony count of having a financial interest in a contract or purchase made in an official capacity.
Sampath was charged with money laundering, having a financial interest in a contract or purchase made in an official capacity, and aiding and abetting a government official to have a financial interest in a contract or purchase made in an official capacity.
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If convicted on all charges, they each face up to seven years in jail.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Peng and an extradition warrant for Sampath.
"Between 2018 and 2022, Peng was involved in signing, approving, or recommending over $22 million in funding from LAUSD to Innive through Change Orders, Work Orders, Invoices, and Contract recommendations," the felony complaint read. "Between 2017 and 2023, Innive received over $39 million in payments from LAUSD. Between 2018 and 2022, Peng received over $3 million in payments from Sampath, Sampath controlled companies, or Sampath connected third parties."
The complaint claimed that Sampath sent texts to Peng in February 2018 instructing her to "delete all" of their messages.
"If anyone sees the text about these internal things it will be a prb," Sampath allegedly wrote.
In June 2018, he allegedly wrote to Peng, "What r the other opportunities in Lausd. That we can exploit. Any other area."
According to the complaint, Peng responded by telling Sampath that there were "a lot" of proposal requests from the district.
"This case involves a blatant abuse of public trust — funneling taxpayer dollars intended for students into personal coffers," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated. "This vendor, working with an LAUSD project manager, allegedly carried out a multi-year, multi-contract pay-to-play arrangement that siphoned millions of dollars from our schools. We will not tolerate public officials who sell out their responsibilities or contractors who line their pockets by gaming the system. Both will be held fully accountable."
LAUSD released a statement in response to the charges.
"Los Angeles Unified is aware of the charges filed by the District Attorney's office against an individual who worked for LAUSD as an information technology employee from 2018 to 2022. As recounted in the District Attorney's Felony Complaint, this former employee was referred to the Office of the Inspector General for investigation in April 2022, as soon as an LAUSD supervisor learned of a potential conflict of interest. LAUSD Office of the Inspector General then notified the District Attorney's office," the district wrote.
"LAUSD is committed to full compliance with all applicable laws, and we expect our employees and business partners to comply with the highest standards of ethics and integrity. The District will continue to cooperate fully with relevant authorities," the district continued. "We will not comment further on the specifics of the case while legal proceedings are ongoing."
Sampath, Innive, and Peng did not respond to a request for comment.
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An official of the Los Angeles Unified School District says that thousands of students are not showing up for school out of fear of deportation operations.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said in a statement that enrollment decreased by 4% compared to last year.
'We will continue to stand firmly with our immigrant communities and protect every student's right to a welcoming, stable, and supportive education.'
As the district serves about 429,000 students, a 4% drop signifies more than 17,000 students.
"These declines reflect a climate of fear and instability created by ongoing immigration crackdowns, which disrupt family stability, housing, and mobility," reads a statement from Carvalho.
He went on to list other conditions that brought down enrollment.
"These fears are now exacerbating pre-existing factors that were already driving statewide enrollment declines — including falling birth rates, rising housing costs, and broader economic pressures," he added. "When families are afraid to be seen, or when they cannot afford to remain in their communities, they are less likely to enroll, re-enroll, or stay in public schools."
He went on to say that if the state didn't address the issues, it would "face long-term ramifications that will affect classrooms, staffing, programming, and the future of public education itself."
Carvalho reiterated the district's intention to support immigrants and did not distinguish between those who are illegally present in the U.S. from those who arrived legally.
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"Our responsibility is to ensure every child — regardless of where they were born — feels safe in our schools," he added. "We will continue to stand firmly with our immigrant communities and protect every student's right to a welcoming, stable, and supportive education."
In June, Carvalho issued a statement opposing immigration enforcement operations conducted near schools. He also said that district officials were ready to oppose federal officers trying to enter schools with a judicial warrant.
"I think that would be a preposterous condition," he said at the time. "But then again, we have seen preposterous actions taken recently by this administration. We are prepared for everything."
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Leftists cherish the right to bodily autonomy so long as the person exercising it is a woman seeking to abort a child, not an adult who objects to putting an experimental medication in her body.
The docs show the union attempting to create an anti-ICE surveillance state in schools, complete with patrols and Signal group chats.
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