Moreno Valley fight: 2 girls apprehended after another assault on middle school student, just weeks after fatal attack
MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities are investigating another assault involving students at a Moreno Valley middle school in the wake of a series of violent on-campus incidences in the past month, including one that turned fatal.
Two girls were apprehended Monday for allegedly assaulting a fellow student during lunch at Landmark Middle School.
The 12- and 13-year-old students were booked into Riverside County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of battery, according to the county sheriff's department.
The girl who was assaulted suffered minor injuries and was later released to her mother, authorities said.
This was the second attack at the school in less than a month.
A 13-year-old boy died Sept. 24, just over a week after he suffered injuries in what authorities said was an on-campus attack by two other students. Cell phone video of the fight appears to show one suspect appearing to confront the victim and punch him in the head. A second boy also allegedly strikes the boy. The victim then appears to hit his head on a pillar and drop to the ground. The first allegedly hits the boy a second time before running away.
Two students have been charged with voluntary manslaughter in that case.
RELATED: Charges upgraded to voluntary manslaughter against 2 students in Moreno Valley school attack
In the aftermath of the deadly fight, videos emerged appearing to show fights at another school in the city.
A clip posted by the Facebook group "Keeping up with the I.E." on Oct. 2 depicts a violent incident that occurred inside a Sunnymead Middle School classroom.
After a 12-year-old girl walks over to confront another girl, also 12, who is standing at a desk, a teacher steps in between them in an attempt to prevent a fight.
Several students are heard screaming as the second girl starts throwing punches. Shortly before the footage ends, bystanders are seen trying to break up the altercation as one girl pulls the first girl's hair.
Two 12-year-old girls were arrested and a third is being sought in connection to the "student-on-student assault."
On Sept. 20, another video was posted by the same Facebook group. This clip begins with a group of students running toward a confrontation involving several girls also at Sunnymead Middle School. After one of the girls is pushed and stumbles backward, a uniformed man rushes in to intervene.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" the man yells while attempting to defuse the situation.
Undeterred, the other three girls rush forward and at least one of them throws a punch at the first girl while the officer stands between them. Amid the chaos, another man arrives and tries to help break up the melee.
The girl who was shoved is seen sitting on the ground, shielding her head with her arms as the footage ends.
Parents gathered on Oct. 3 to discuss student safety with schools officials. Some parents say the school district needs to have a strict zero-tolerance policy.
MORE: Moreno Valley parents demand action as more school fight videos surface
"We will factor in all the suggestions and constructive ideas we gather tonight so that we can ensure our students feel safe every single day," Moreno Valley Unified School District Superintendent Martinrex Kedziora said at the time.
The school district said it hired extra behavioral specialists to try to assist students who are having problems to try to prevent them from lashing out at others. The district added it plans to hold future meetings to try to do more problem-solving and come up with more solutions.
