‘Angel’ girl, 10, kills herself ‘after being picked on by bullies at school’
A 10 year-old girl killed herself after being bullied at school, police believe.
The youngster, identified as Allison Ruth Wendel, was found dead by her nine year-old sister at their home in Santa Ana, California, on Sunday.
Further details on how the youngster, known as Ali, died have not been released.
Family friends said afterwards: ‘We lost a great little angel.’
Detectives from Santa Ana Police Department arrived at Hazard Elementary School, where Allison studied, on Monday to further investigate the bullying claims.
They plan to interview those who knew the tragic youngster, and comb her social media pages and text messages to see if bullying had caused her to take her own life.
Allison’s parents are said to have had access to their daughter’s phone, and checked it regularly to make sure she was not being picked on.
Bombshell trailer drops as Nicole Kidman asks if we’re ‘ready for war’Classmate Jacob Ortiz was among those who paid tribute to Allison.
He 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 rosary vigil was scheduled to be held outside Allison’s home on Monday evening.
A spokesman for Garden Grove School District, which includes Hazard Elementary School said: ‘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 longstanding PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program and takes a proactive approach to promote a positive school culture