Boy, 13, Dies 9 Days After Moreno Valley Middle School Attack

MORENO VALLEY, CA — Nine days after a violent confrontation at a Riverside County school sent a middle schooler to the hospital in critical condition, officials announced the victim has been declared "clinically dead." The boy, just 13, was slugged in the face and knocked into unconsciousness during a fight at Landmark Middle School in Moreno Valley on Sept. 16, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's officials said the teen, identified only as Diego, was declared dead Tuesday night, but he remains on life support while his family makes arrangements to donate his organs.

"Rigorous medical intervention and treatment efforts at an area hospital were unsuccessful," the sheriff's department said in a news release on Wednesday. "Preparations by Diego’s family are underway for organ donation to transform this tragedy into the gift of life for other children."

The fight broke out on the campus of Landmark Middle School at 15261 Legendary Drive about 1 p.m. Sept. 16, said Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. William Stens.

Deputies were called to the location to investigate after the boy was taken to Riverside University Medical Center for treatment of "significant injuries," Stens said.

He did not specify what prompted the altercation, a portion of which was caught on cellphone video. The video shows one boy punching another in the face, causing him to bang his head on a pillar. Witnesses said he began foaming at the mouth.

Two 13-year-old students at the school were arrested hours after the fight. They have not been publicly identified, due to their ages.

Sheriff's officials said Wednesday the suspects remain in custody, "facing prosecution for this assault." However, officials did not say what charges the boys may face. They were initially booked on suspicion of assault likely to produce great bodily injury.

KTLA News reported that Diego's classmates said the boy had been previously bullied.

Moreno Valley School District hosted a parent meeting following the attack.

"We also used this opportunity to discuss our efforts to prevent and deal with bullying behaviors in our schools," Superintendent Dr. Martinrex Kedziora said in an announcement on the district's website.

Kedziora said a second meeting is set for Thursday, Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Landmark Middle School "to develop solutions through community collaboration."

"The Board of Education and I, working with you, will develop a better school system so that all students will feel safe and secure every day in the Moreno Valley Unified School District."

The city's mayor expressed his sadness related to the case.

"I want to extend my sincere condolences to Diego's family and friends," Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez said. "No one should have to endure the pain of such a terrible loss. This is a life-changing tragedy for everyone involved, including the staff and students at Landmark Middle School. We can only hope that, somehow, out of this tragedy some good can emerge. But today, we are shocked and saddened like the rest of our community."

The Menace Of Bullies: Patch Advocacy Reporting Project

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell? Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims?

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• Cyberbullying Most Often Affects Girls; These Women Are Trying To Stop It
• Bullying Kids: Straighten Up, Or Your Parents May Have To Pay Up
• Teen Who Killed Himself Wasn't 'Worthless,' Family Tells Bullies
• Menace Of Bullies: Why This Woman Resigned Her 6-Figure Job

— City News Service contributed to this report