On Friday, February 24, the Long Beach Police Department began a comprehensive investigation into the death of 10-year-old Joanna Ramos, who died several hours after a physical altercation with a female classmate that day after school. On Tuesday, March 13, the detectives presented all of the facts and evidence of the investigation to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review, and today they determined that they would not file any charges in the case. This case was a fight between two children that ended with unintended and tragic results, and the Long Beach Police Department hopes that its conclusion brings some peace to both families involved, as well as the community.

Please direct all inquiries to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

February 27 | This morning, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office released preliminary findings in regard to the autopsy of Joanna Ramos of Long Beach, whose correct age has been confirmed as 10 years 11 months. 
   


The Long Beach Police Department is still in the process of conducting a very intense and detailed investigation, comprised of many aspects, including interviews, follow-up, and a thorough review of all the facts and evidence.  At the completion of our investigation, we will be presenting the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for consideration. The District Attorney’s Office will ultimately determine whether charges may be filed in this case.
The police department realizes that there is much information being shared within the community, which has led to a great deal of speculation.  

Once again, anyone having any information relating to this ongoing investigation that they have not shared with police investigators is strongly encouraged to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Hugo Cortes and Peter Lackovic at (562) 570-7244.  Anonymous tips may also be submitted via text or web by visiting www.tipsoft.com.

The Long Beach Police Department will provide additional updates on this case as appropriate and all questions relating to the autopsy should be directed to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.  

February 26 | A press conference held at the Long Beach Unified School District headquarters in north Long Beach still left many questions lingering regarding the strange death of an 11-year-old girl.

On Friday, February 24, 2012, at approximately 5:50pm, Long Beach police officers responded to a local hospital after being notified that an 11-year-old female, who was unconscious and not breathing, but showed no visual signs of trauma to her body, had been brought into the emergency room (ER) by her family. She was treated by ER staff, and taken in for emergency surgery. She was placed in ICU in critical condition, and at approximately 8:50pm, in spite of the hospital staff’s valiant efforts, was pronounced deceased.

As Long Beach Police (LBPD) began investigating, it was learned that the decedent had been involved in a physical altercation with a female classmate at Willard Elementary. It was determined that after school, the two girls and approximately seven onlookers walked to a nearby alley to engage in a pre-planned fight. We believe the fight lasted less than one minute, did not involve any weapons, and that no one was knocked to the ground. Once the fight was over, both girls left the location and went their separate ways.  

Detectives have identified the involved classmate and interviewed her, along with the multiple onlookers. Detectives are also attempting to identify anyone who had knowledge of the events leading up to the fight, or any additional witnesses to the fight. What the girls may have been fighting over is still under investigation.

As of now, this has been ruled as an undetermined death, and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office will determine the official cause of death.

The LBPD will continue to conduct interviews and gather facts, and will present our findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, along with the Coroner’s findings. The District Attorney’s Office will review the case and ultimately determine if any charges will be filed.

At this point, no arrests have been made in this case.  Detectives have spoken with family members and friends of both girls, and no one has alleged or provided any information that the decedent was being bullied.  None of the students interviewed thus far have informed detectives that school officials were made aware of the impending fight.

Mayor Bob Foster released the following statement:

There are times when words don’t work to convey our sense of sadness –- and this is one of them. Our hearts go out to the families affected by this tragic event yesterday that resulted in the death of an 11-year old girl from Long Beach. It is hard to understand how this could ever happen. And if you are like me, you are thinking of your daughter or your grandchildren, and mindful of how precious life really is. All of us are anxious to get answers from the investigation in hopes that they will help us make some sense of this heartbreak.”

The Long Beach Police Department’s Homicide Detail will continue investigating the incident to determine if a crime occurred.  Anyone who may have information regarding this investigation, who hasn’t already spoken with detectives, should contact the Homicide Detail at (562) 570-7244.

Anonymous tips may also be submitted via text or web by visiting www.tipsoft.com.  
February 24, 11:30pm | At approximately 5:50pm, Long Beach Police received a call from a local hospital that an 11-year-old female had been brought into the ER by her family, unconscious and not breathing. 

She was treated in the ER, taken into surgery, and then placed in ICU in critical condition.  At approximately 8:50pm, she was pronounced deceased.

The preliminary investigation indicates that she had been involved in a physical altercation after school with another female minor off campus.

Long Beach Police Homicide detectives are investigating the incident and the investigation remains ongoing.  The official cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Hugo Cortes and Peter Lackovic at (562) 570-7244.