Coroner rules Long Beach girl's death a homicide
LONG BEACH — The death of a 10-year-old Long Beach girl, who was involved in a fight with an 11-year-old classmate Friday over a boy, has been ruled a homicide, authorities said this morning.
Joanna Ramos' death was ruled a homicide and the final mode of death was ruled to be blunt force trauma, said Los Angeles County Coroner's Lt. Fred Corral.
Ramos, who police had initially said was 11 years old, died late Friday after she and an 11-year-old classmate at Willard Elementary School left an after-school program for a pre-planned fight that afternoon, police said.
"The Long Beach Police Department is still in the process of
2-26-2012--(Staff Photo by Sean Hiller)-A makeshift memorial grew for Joanna Ramos,11, who died after a preplanned fight with another girl, also 11, in an alley near Willard Elementary School in Long Beach.
Once investigators are ready, they will present their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, which will ultimately decide whether a charge will be filed against the 11-year-old girl who fought with Ramos, Pratt said.
No weapons were used in the fight, which lasted about a minute, neither girl was knocked to the ground and both of them walked away from the fight, Deputy Police Chief Robert Luna said at a press conference held Saturday.
Ramos, who had no visible signs of trauma, returned to the
after-school program, and at some point thereafter, vomited and went home, Ramos' aunt, Patricia Catalan, said Sunday at a makeshift memorial at the elementary school.Catalan also said she thought more than one girl fought with her niece.
Police, however, wouldn't comment any further on the case, said Pratt.
While at home, Ramos told her family she wasn't feeling well, and she was driven to a local emergency room. She had surgery and was initially listed in critical condition, but was
2-26-2012--(Staff Photo by Sean Hiller)-A makeshift memorial grew for Joanna Ramos,11, who died after a preplanned fight with another girl, also 11, in an alley near Willard Elementary School in Long Beach. Joanna Ramos' mother d Elementary School in Long Beach. Joanna Ramos' mother Cecilia Villanueva and Ryan Grindstaff,12, a friend of Ramos, console each other near the memorial Sunday. (Sean Hiller / Staff Photographer)
Police wouldn't say what Ramos' injuries were or what type of surgery she had.
Police have interviewed the girl who fought with Ramos as well as about seven witnesses at the fight, but no arrests were made, Luna said.
Police did not say what prompted the fight, but friends said it was over a boy.
"They were fighting over a boy. I told the teacher and, she said she would talk to all the girls on Monday (today)," said Stephanie Guadalupe Soltero, who said she was friends with the victim.
No adults at the school knew about the impending fight, Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent Chris Steinhauser said at Saturday's news conference.
The superintendent said letters would go out to parents immediately, and that counselors would be provided when students return to class today.
Some students said bullying had been a problem at the school, but Luna would not confirm whether that was an issue in this case. He also didn't know whether the girls had problems in the past.
On Saturday, a shrine had been put up on the front steps of Willard Elementary, which has about 800 kindergarten through fifth-grade students.
Police said they were working to interview anyone with information — with knowledge that there were rumors going around about the girls and what caused the fight.
"We are still trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together," Luna said.
Anyone with more information was asked to call detectives Hugo Cortes or Peter Lackovic at 562-570- 7244.
Pratt urged those with information about the fight, particularly whatever led up to the incident, to talk with homicide investigators working on the case.
"The police department realizes there is much information being shared within the community, which has led to a great deal of speculation," Pratt said a news release issued this afternoon.
"Anyone (with) any information relating to this ongoing investigation that they have not shared with police - is strongly encouraged to contact - Detectives Hugo Cortes and Peter Lackovic at 562-570-7244.
Anonymous tips can be submitted via text or email at www.tipsoft.com, she said.
tracy.manzer@presstelegram.com, 562-714-2150, twitter.com/tmanzer
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