CA - Joanna Ramos, 10, dies of head injury from after-school fight, 24 Feb 2012

[JoeFromLB]

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_20042805

Updated: 02/25/2012 01:30:16 PM PST

LONG BEACH -- An 11-year-old Long Beach girl who got into an after-school fight with another girl died after being taken to a hospital by a family member, police said today.

Police withheld the girl's name and did not say where she went to school.

The girl was brought to an emergency room -- she was unconscious and not breathing -- by family members about 5:50 p.m. Friday, police said. Police said the girl underwent surgery, was placed in intensive care in critical condition and declared dead about 8:50 p.m., police said.

 

[Belinda]

11-year-olds fighting to the death? Scary.

 

[Lovejac]

11 year old girl beating another one to death? My God, that poor family.

I am axiously awaiting more information.

 

[~greeneyedgirl~]

My prayers are with this poor girls family.

This is beyond a tragedy ...

 

[Jan]

Did she get hit on the head with something or fall and hit her head? What killed her? Its crazy for 11 year olds to be in hand to hand combat! There really isn't much information in the article to know what exactly happened.

 

[Belinda]

LONG BEACH - An 11-year-old girl died after a preplanned fight with another girl, also 11, in an alley near Willard Elementary School, police said at a press conference held Saturday night.

The girl, identified by friends as Joanna Ramos, sustained undisclosed injuries after the off-campus fight Friday evening. Both of the girls then walked away.

Some time later, family members noticed Ramos wasn't feeling well and drove her to a local emergency room. She underwent surgery Friday, was initially listed in critical condition, but was pronounced dead shortly before 9 p.m. Friday.

(snip)

Police have not made any arrests, but have interviewed the girl who engaged in the fight with Ramos. Deputy Chief Robert Luna said there were about seven onlookers present at the time, and they have been interviewed as well.

Police did not say what prompted the fight, but friends said it was over a boy.

(snip)

Police said the students were involved in an after-school program, and at some point left the campus and went to an alley near the K-5 school to fight. Police did not disclose the nature of the injuries Ramos sustained, but said no weapons were involved in the fight.

(snip)

The Los Angeles County Coroner had not yet performed an autopsy as of Saturday night. The Coroner will determine the exact cause of death.


http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_20042805

 

[MsWeatherwax]

Sadly, I'm not as shocked as I should be. The daughter of a family friend was kicked to death when she was 11, by two 11 year old girls. They served less than a year in prison, and their community had a 'welcome home' party when they were released (which the authorities kindly saw fit to do on the anniversary of her death).

You'll be relieved to hear that this is in the UK, mind you.

 

[JoeFromLB]

Joanna Ramos. RIP.

 

[MsFacetious]

Her aunt, Celina Cervantes, said Joanna complained of a headache after the fight and that the girl's mother rushed her to the hospital. Joanna had no visible wounds. She underwent surgery and was placed in intensive care.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...tween-two-girls-was-over-boy-family-says.html

I am guessing that this was a bleeding issue... either something that just took a bit longer in the brain... or else something like the spleen with the headache being separate from the fatal injury.

Nobody being knocked to the ground definitely makes it a bit harder to imagine such a serious injury though.

 

[passionflower]

a fight that bad at 11 yrs of age over a BOY!

 

[JoeFromLB]

Coroner ruling: Homicide

Blunt force trauma to the head. The girl died after surgery for a blood clot on the brain.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/2...rnia-girl-dies-from-injuries-in-school-fight/

 

[Lovejac]

Over a boy! I am having trouble wrapping my head around this.

I'm 43 years old and had no interest in boys at 11. Times are changing indeed. Her poor family.

 

[Belinda]

The fight seemed very minor. I'm wondering if the girl had some kind of pre-existing condition that was exacerbated by the fight. Such as an aneurysm.

 

[DollyPardonMe]

This is just so sad. They interviewed little Joanna's family on our local news channel this morning and they said she had also been the victim of bullying by this girl..All over a boy! What a waste!

~RIP~ Joanna

 

[JoeFromLB]

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_20062079

Police have said the fight in an alley after school on Friday lasted less than a minute, involved no weapons and that no one fell to the ground.

Villanueva (the victim's mother), 41, said that before Joanna lost consciousness, she told her mother the other girl was her "enemy" but offered no further explanation.

"I said, what happened, and she said, 'a girl punched my head,' and I said why, and she said, 'I don't know Mom. We are enemies,'" Villanueva recalled. "I asked her, you don't have any enemies. Why, Joanna? She told me, 'I don't want to talk, I'm tired and I want to go to sleep.'"

"After that she didn't say anything no more," the mother said.

 

[tlcya]

I have been and will continue to be unable to follow this one. My heart breaks for Joanna's family.

I have an 11yr old DD. She is not all hot into boys and boyfriends yet, but many of her classmates are.

I have no doubt that the girl she fought with had no intent for this fight to end little Joanna's life, but there it is, a stupid act over a stupid boy, and one life is ended, another forever changed.

Just so sad. I needed to say that, and now I will move on down the forum list. This one just hits waay too close to home for me.

 

[JoeFromLB]

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_20065351

A fellow student at Willard said Tuesday night it was the 11-year-old who had planned the fight and Ramos had no choice but to face off in an alley located across the street from the school and directly behind the 11-year-old's apartment building. The location of the fight was in view of the school's playground, where children raced around laughing and playing late Tuesday afternoon.

"She was making faces at her" and goading Ramos to fight, the classmate said.

She and several other children at the school said the fight ended when the 11-year-old grabbed Ramos on either side of her head, by her hair, and yanked Ramos' head down while slamming her knee into the 10-year-old's forehead, above her nose.

Children who witnessed the fight said Joanna had blood around her nose and lip. By the time Joanna checked into the after-school program, however, there was no blood and no other obvious signs of trauma, school and police officials have said.

 

[Belinda]

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_20065351

A fellow student at Willard said Tuesday night it was the 11-year-old who had planned the fight and Ramos had no choice but to face off in an alley located across the street from the school and directly behind the 11-year-old's apartment building. The location of the fight was in view of the school's playground, where children raced around laughing and playing late Tuesday afternoon.

"She was making faces at her" and goading Ramos to fight, the classmate said.

She and several other children at the school said the fight ended when the 11-year-old grabbed Ramos on either side of her head, by her hair, and yanked Ramos' head down while slamming her knee into the 10-year-old's forehead, above her nose.

Children who witnessed the fight said Joanna had blood around her nose and lip. By the time Joanna checked into the after-school program, however, there was no blood and no other obvious signs of trauma, school and police officials have said.

Well, that makes a little more sense. I was so confused as to how she died from the fight. What a crying shame. Poor thing. A waste of a great human life.

 

[HMSHood]

The girl had some preexisting condition for her to die. The fight was rather bloody for 11 year old girls. They don't like that from what I remember. However, this does not excuse what happens. Over a boyfriend at age 11? That's really messed up! I wonder about the perps in this case, like their upbringing or any behavior problems they had.

 

[JoeFromLB]

There was a neurosurgeon from Cedars-Sinai Hospital in L.A. who said that a blow to the head could "absolutely" cause what happened to this girl. There doesn't have to be a pre-existing condition for this to happen. At the right angle and force, a blow to the head can tear a vein on the surface of the brain, causing bleeding and a fatal clot.
The other girl slammed Ramos' head into her knee. That's a very violent collision, much worse than a punch.

I'll look for that link with the surgeon's opinion.