Teen charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to death of Dunwoody High School student

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School District has announced a teen has been charged in connection with a 15-year-old girl who died after a medical emergency at Dunwoody High School on Monday.

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On Monday evening, Channel 2′s Michael Seiden spoke with Pamela Dieguez via Zoom who confirmed that her sister, Mia, 15, was rushed to a hospital after suffering a medical emergency during the school day.

DeKalb County School District announced on Tuesday police arrested and charged a teen in connection to Mia’s death for giving her something that caused her to go into cardiac arrest.

That teen, who has not been identified because he is a minor, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. He was taken to the DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center.

District officials have not said if the teen is a student at the same high school as Dieguez.

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“They (school officials) told me that she went to the restroom and when she came back to the classroom, she put her head on her desk and the next thing they knew she was on the floor,” Deiguez said.

Deiguez explained to Channel 2 Action News that she recently learned that her sister had been buying Percocet from an unidentified classmate.

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Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was at the school Tuesday, where parents said they think there is something bigger going on.

Fernandes spoke to a parent who said that while it is tragic that a student died, what is even more scary is that her death is part of a much bigger problem.

One parent said that if administrators don’t start taking action, more students could be at risk.

“There’s a life – and not that we can bring her back, but I just feel like the police have to do their job,” one parent said.

The medical examiner has not released the autopsy reports. He said they could take weeks.

Students told Fernandes that at least one other student took the same pill Deiguez took. Police have not confirmed that but are investigating that claim.

The DeKalb County School District sent the following statement regarding the incident:

“DeKalb County School District (DCSD) Police have arrested a juvenile in connection with the medical emergency that occurred at Dunwoody High School, resulting in the death of a student on May 6, 2024. Due to the individual’s status as a minor, their personally identifiable information will not be disclosed.”

School officials have said investigators are actively continuing their investigation into the incident.

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