8th-Grade Student's Death A Shock
Unfortunately we have lost another. In memory of
GIRL WHO TOOK ECSTASY REMOVED FROM LIFE SUPPORT
By Maria Alicia Gaura and Ryan Kim
-Chronicle Staff Writers-
A Belmont middle school that had held out hope for the recovery of a 14-year old student who suffered an overdose after taking the drug ecstasy was the scene of grief and mourning Thursday following the girl's death the night before.
Students at Ralston Middle School arrived Thursday to the news that the eigth-grader Irma M. Perez had died after being taken off of life support at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The news stunned and saddened many of the students and staff and prompted an oupouring of grief.
"Irma was my friend. She was really nice," said Lia Kutulas, a sixth-grader who contributed to an impromptu memorial in the school's courtyard. "When we found out, we were crying and all. I was really shocked."
By the end of the day, the memorial included scores of posters, cards, and flowers. Many students also wrote "R.I.P." on their hands and arms.
Irma was described by friends and staff members as a quiet girl with a tight group of friends. They said she had moved to Belmont last year to live with a relative after the death of her mother.
Sean Steele, an eigth-graders, was one of many students who turned to a team of counselors for help in understanding the tragedy.
"She never even got out of middle school," he said of Irma. "She didn't have a chance to experience anything in life. It was a jolt."
Authorities said Irma had ingested ecstasy Friday night during a sleepover with two friends at a house in the 2500 block of Lincoln Avenue. All three took the drug, also known as MDMA, but only Irma suffered medical problems the next morning. She was rushed to the hospital and never regained consciousness.
She was declared brain dead at 11:10 a.m. Sunday but was kept alive to harvest her organs for donation and to provide family members a chance to say goodbye. She was taken off life support Wednesday night.
Police arrested Antonio Riversa Jr., 20, and a 17-year old male. both of Belmont, on suspicion of supplying the girls with the drugs Friday after school. Rivera Jr. was arraigned Tuesday on seven felony counts of furnishing drugs to minors and being in possession of drugs for sale and one misdemeanor for drug possession. He faces 18 years in prison if convicted on all accounts. Authorities are not releasing information on Rivera's alleged accomplice because he is a juvenile.
The San Mateo County district attorney's office said it would wait for the results of toxicology tests on Irma before deciding whether to add possible manslaughter to homicide chargers against the two defendants. The toxicology results are expected within two weeks.
John McIntosh, superintendent of the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, said the district had scheduled a drug awareness presentation May 19 at Carlmont High Schoool in Belmont to further education efforts with parents and students in the wake of the overdose. He said Irma's death may serve as a warning for the community.
"I think this is a real wake-up call for all of us when we have a 14-year old girl pass away," McIntosh said. "The reality is if you mess with drugs, you can permanently damage your life or end it."
McIntosh had already sent letters home to parents, urgring them to discuss the effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
Neighbors on Lincoln Avenue, where the sleepover took place, agreed the community and parents in particular need to be more vigilant about the dangers of drugs.
"I think there is a flase sense of security here, that people think this is an inner-city problem," said Cheryl Hull, 44, whose daughter attends Ralston Middle School. "We need to wake up and see this is a problem in our neighborhood."
~/~/~/~/~/ My brother, Sam, lives in Belmont, California. My brother, Sam, goes to Ralston Middle School. My brother, Sam, is friends with Sean Steele. My brother, Sam, -was- friends with Irma M. Perez.~/~/~/~/~/ That just makes me sad and sick.
GIRL WHO TOOK ECSTASY REMOVED FROM LIFE SUPPORT
By Maria Alicia Gaura and Ryan Kim
-Chronicle Staff Writers-
A Belmont middle school that had held out hope for the recovery of a 14-year old student who suffered an overdose after taking the drug ecstasy was the scene of grief and mourning Thursday following the girl's death the night before.
Students at Ralston Middle School arrived Thursday to the news that the eigth-grader Irma M. Perez had died after being taken off of life support at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The news stunned and saddened many of the students and staff and prompted an oupouring of grief.
"Irma was my friend. She was really nice," said Lia Kutulas, a sixth-grader who contributed to an impromptu memorial in the school's courtyard. "When we found out, we were crying and all. I was really shocked."
By the end of the day, the memorial included scores of posters, cards, and flowers. Many students also wrote "R.I.P." on their hands and arms.
Irma was described by friends and staff members as a quiet girl with a tight group of friends. They said she had moved to Belmont last year to live with a relative after the death of her mother.
Sean Steele, an eigth-graders, was one of many students who turned to a team of counselors for help in understanding the tragedy.
"She never even got out of middle school," he said of Irma. "She didn't have a chance to experience anything in life. It was a jolt."
Authorities said Irma had ingested ecstasy Friday night during a sleepover with two friends at a house in the 2500 block of Lincoln Avenue. All three took the drug, also known as MDMA, but only Irma suffered medical problems the next morning. She was rushed to the hospital and never regained consciousness.
She was declared brain dead at 11:10 a.m. Sunday but was kept alive to harvest her organs for donation and to provide family members a chance to say goodbye. She was taken off life support Wednesday night.
Police arrested Antonio Riversa Jr., 20, and a 17-year old male. both of Belmont, on suspicion of supplying the girls with the drugs Friday after school. Rivera Jr. was arraigned Tuesday on seven felony counts of furnishing drugs to minors and being in possession of drugs for sale and one misdemeanor for drug possession. He faces 18 years in prison if convicted on all accounts. Authorities are not releasing information on Rivera's alleged accomplice because he is a juvenile.
The San Mateo County district attorney's office said it would wait for the results of toxicology tests on Irma before deciding whether to add possible manslaughter to homicide chargers against the two defendants. The toxicology results are expected within two weeks.
John McIntosh, superintendent of the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, said the district had scheduled a drug awareness presentation May 19 at Carlmont High Schoool in Belmont to further education efforts with parents and students in the wake of the overdose. He said Irma's death may serve as a warning for the community.
"I think this is a real wake-up call for all of us when we have a 14-year old girl pass away," McIntosh said. "The reality is if you mess with drugs, you can permanently damage your life or end it."
McIntosh had already sent letters home to parents, urgring them to discuss the effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
Neighbors on Lincoln Avenue, where the sleepover took place, agreed the community and parents in particular need to be more vigilant about the dangers of drugs.
"I think there is a flase sense of security here, that people think this is an inner-city problem," said Cheryl Hull, 44, whose daughter attends Ralston Middle School. "We need to wake up and see this is a problem in our neighborhood."
~/~/~/~/~/ My brother, Sam, lives in Belmont, California. My brother, Sam, goes to Ralston Middle School. My brother, Sam, is friends with Sean Steele. My brother, Sam, -was- friends with Irma M. Perez.~/~/~/~/~/ That just makes me sad and sick.