A devastated mother has claimed her 16-year-old daughter died after being badly beaten by bullies at her California high school.
Shaylee Mejia, 16, collapsed just days after she was attacked inside a bathroom at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles.
Video of the incident on March 5 shows the teenage girl having her hair dragged and hitting her head against a stall before she fell down. Numerous punches are exchanged by the girls involved in the fighting throughout the brawl.
Mejia’s mother, Maria Juarez, said her daughter complained about headaches for several days but continued to attend school before she went to a party the following Saturday night, according to KTLA.
Mejia suffered a hemorrhage due to brain injuries and collapsed while at the party. She was rushed to hospital but never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on March 15.
‘Everybody knows about my daughter hitting her head, the teachers too,’ Juarez said. ‘Everybody knows.’
Shaylee Mejia, 16, suffered a hemorrhage due to brain injuries. She was rushed to hospital but never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on March 15. Her mom, Maria Juarez, claims the injuries were the results of being beaten inside her California high school
Mejia did not tell her mother about the fight because she didn’t want her to worry or take time off from work.
The incident was captured on video by other students and it shows the young girl being viciously beaten while others stand and watch.
Mejia said her daughter was suffering from headaches in the days following the horrific attack but still went to school.
But, she later fainted at the party and a friend said that she fell down and stopped talking, Juarez said.
The teen was taken to the hospital and heartbreaking photos show her lying in a hospital bed on a ventilator.
She died six days later, on March 15, and her mother believes her daughter died from severe injuries she sustained in the bathroom fight.
The official cause of Mejia’s death has not been determined and an investigation is ongoing.
Los Angeles police say they will also look at claims that Mejia fell down a flight of stairs on the night of the party.
Mejia said her daughter was suffering from headaches in the days following the horrific attack but still went to school
Juarez, a housekeeper and the family’s sole provider, claimed her daughter was being bullied for months and school officials failed to stop it
Juarez, a housekeeper and the family’s sole provider, claimed her daughter was being bullied for months and school officials failed to stop it.
The teenager girl joined Manual Arts High around eight months ago when she moved into a new apartment with her mother and younger brother. After several months at the school, the mom said her daughter began coming home with bruises all over her body, which she thought was due to other fights.
Juarez took pictures of the injuries to show school officials and campus police but claims nothing was done about the issue. She added her daughter continued to be targeted by bullies and several attacks were captured on camera.
The mother was only told about the fight on March 5 after Mejia had died.
Juarez revealed that the teen’s three-year-old brother was devastated by the news of his sister’s passing.
‘He’s sad,’ Juarez said. ‘He misses his sister. I just, I don’t know. I want to die.’
Mejia (right) was at a party days after the attack when she collapsed and she rushed to the hospital. She never regained consciousness
Manual Arts High School principal Alejandro Macias said: ‘While this tragic incident took place outside of school hours and off campus, our heartfelt thoughts remain with those affected by this loss’
Manual Arts High School principal Alejandro Macias said: ‘I am saddened to report the recent death of one of our students off campus.
‘On behalf of our entire school community, I want to offer my deepest condolences to those who are impacted by this loss, including the student’s family, friends, and teachers.’
Macias requested privacy for the people involved in the space and said the school was offering support.
‘While this tragic incident took place outside of school hours and off campus, our heartfelt thoughts remain with those affected by this loss,’ Macias stated.
While this tragic incident took place outside of school hours and off campus, our heartfelt thoughts remain with those affected by this loss.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Mejia’s family with the funeral costs.
‘We are trying to save money to help Shay’s mom with the funeral expenses anything helps please help us put Shaylee to rest her death was very tragic to many of us,’ it read.
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