Tears were shed Tuesday as loved ones of a young San Fernando Valley girl who died in an alleged bullying incident at school was mourned in a viewing held in her honor.
Relatives of 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta gathered at a church in the valley on Tuesday as they mourned their loss. The young girl died on Feb. 25, following days in a coma after she was hit in the head with a metal water bottle while trying to protect her sister from an alleged bullying incident, her mother said.
Now as she navigates her grief, Elma Chuquipa Sanchez, Zavaleta’s mother, said it’s been difficult for her to comprehend that he daughter is gone.
“I never thought, I never expected my little girl to end up like this,” Sanchez told NBCLA’s sister station, Telemundo 52.
“Sometimes I think that she’s coming back, that she’s at my sister’s house,” Sanchez said. “So, I’d wait for her to return. But now, she’s in a coffin and I’m never going to see her again. I know she’s not coming back.”
As Zavaleta’s six siblings, mother and other relatives gathered together, they shared memories of family gatherings and trips with the girl.
Khimberly Zavaleta’s family said the 12-year-old was hit in the head with a metal water bottle. Keenan Willard reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.
I want her to be remembered as a happy kid. She had so many dreams, and she loved to sing.
Elma Chuquipa Sanchez, the girl’s mother
“I want her to be remembered as a happy kid,” Sanchez said. “She had so many dreams, and she loved to sing.”
Zavaleta’s funeral is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
Since the incident took place at Reseda High School, the family filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District. The complaint accuses the district of failing to protect students from bullying.
The Los Angeles Police Department launched a homicide investigation into the case. Law enforcement has not said if any arrests have been made in connection with Zavaleta’s death.