10-year-old girl kills herself at home prompting fears that she may have been bullied in school
CALIFORNIA: A 10-year-old child may have killed herself after being constantly bullied by children at school, the police believe.
The child was identified as Allison Ruth Wendel who was found dead at the family home in Santa Ana in California. Wendel had been discovered by her younger sister, 9. As reported by Metro, other details of how Wendel died have not been revealed. Her family and friends shared on Sunday, "We lost a great little angel."
Officers from the Santa Ana Police Department have previously visited the Hazard Elementary School in order to look into the bullying claims. The police are hoping to talk to those who were close to the young child whom they would fondly call Ali. The cops will also check out social media pages as well as text messages to see whether she was being bullied.
The child's parents shared that they would regularly keep a tab on her phone to make sure that she was not being picked on at school. Her classmate Jacob Ortiz paid a tribute to her and told CBSLA, "She was always like funny…she was always really nice to everybody. She would give a lot of people hugs a lot".
A spokesman for Garden Grove School District which is inclusive of the elementary school shared, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of one of our students. We have our crisis counselors on site today and throughout the week to ensure students and staff have support during this difficult time. While the Santa Ana Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation, we have no evidence to support this rumor."
"Hazard Elementary School has a long-standing PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program and takes a proactive approach to promote a positive school culture".
A rosary vigil was held outside the child's home on Monday evening. Her family has started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.