Chanintorn.v/iStock(MORENO VALLEY, Calif.) — A 13-year-old student who was in critical condition after a school fight with two other students has been declared brain dead, police said Wednesday.
The teen, who has only been identified as Diego, was transported to a local hospital after a fight at Landmark Middle School in Moreno Valley, California, on Sept. 16, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
Cellphone video reportedly shows Diego confronted by a fellow student, who throws a punch at him, according to ABC Los Angeles station KABC-TV. A second student also then reportedly threw a punch at Diego.
The first student then appears to hit Diego a second time before running away.
According to witnesses, Diego’s head struck a pillar during the attack, causing significant injuries, KABC reported.
Police began investigating and quickly arrested two juveniles, also students at the school, for assault likely to produce great bodily injury, police said in a statement.
The two suspects were booked into Riverside County Juvenile Hall, police said. No additional details on the case have been released by police.
Diego was pronounced clinically dead on Tuesday night as a result of injuries from the fight, police said.
His family is making preparations for his organs to be donated in order to “transform this tragedy into the gift of life for other children,” police said.
The two suspects remain in custody at the juvenile detention facility and will face prosecution for the assault, officials said.
It’s unclear if either suspect has retained legal counsel.
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