UPDATED AT 6:30PM THURSDAY:
The San Bernardino Coroner's Office has released a statement about that cause of death of Dominick Gallegos. KVCR's Natalya Estrada has this update.
The San Bernardino County Coroner began and completed the autopsy on Thursday to determine the cause of death of 12-year old Dominick Gallegos, who collapsed on Tuesday at Grant Elementary School in Colton.
Initial word from school officials was that Dominick tripped and fell during a game of soccer on school grounds during school hours. Other reports said some of Dominick's friends claimed he was the victim of playground bullying. Dominick's father, Joel Gallegos, also was curious about the bullying allegations.
However, the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office posted a statement on its website saying the autopsy showed Dominick died as the result of an enlarged heart, and that he showed signs of early congestive heart failure. The Coroner also wrote that the autopsy results determined that “no evidence of trauma was found,” meaning no evidence of the physical trauma that would have been inflicted by the descriptions of the alleged attack on Dominick.
While the coroner's report determines the cause of death, it will be up to the Colton Joint Unified School District to deliberate the repercussions and accountability that follow this kind of a tragedy. We have yet to hear Dominick's family's reaction to the coroner's report, and whether they feel it answers the questions that Dominick's father had after his son's death. Not to mention community vigils this week that drew hundreds of people, many of whom also have questions about the safety of kids playing at school. KVCR will update the story as it continues.
