The post mortem conducted on the body of 12 year old Sabrina Almendarez of Independence Village concluded after 7 o’clock last night. The results of the autopsy disprove what most of the public believe. The cause of death was not due to the tetanus injection Almendarez received prior to her death. But the results have raised more questions than answers. The death certificate states that the 12 year old dancer and sport enthusiast died from bleeding and swelling of the brain that resulted in her being asphyxiated. The death certificate further states that the findings are consistent with “blunt trauma to the right forehead” and what has raised many eyebrows is that no external signs that are consistent with the findings. Attorney for the family, Audrey Matura-Shepherd addressed this shocking revelation.
AUDREY MATURA SHEPHERD
“Sabrina Abrianna Almendarez died from bronco aspiration, cerebral odema, and right inter-cerebral hemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the right forehead. So that simply means, as the doctor had explained to me is that the brain was damaged and was hemorrhaging due to a severe trauma to the right frontal lobe of the head. What is interesting however is that during that finding there was no external evidence of any injury which is a puzzling one for everyone so far. What happened, he explained is that the brain filled and then it was bleeding and eventually because nothing was done to reduce the swelling, that swelling became so severe that it was pressing down on everything in the skull and then that pressing down actually press down on the trachea therefore blocking the air to her lungs and therefore she suffocated and died, which is not what anybody expected.”
Various samples were taken from the body for further testing since also uncovered during the examination are injuries to her kidney, spleen, liver and lungs, in which blood was also found. Pathologist Doctor Hugh Sanchez conducted the autopsy and his report is suggests that Almendarez may have sustained the injuries will playing sports. However that has not been proven and remains as speculation.
AUDREY MATURA SHEPHERD
“We asked the doctor several questions and he was unable to give a definite answer immediately, he says there are more things he need to look at and study but it is definitely alarming results for the family. You will also note on the death certificate that she had other contributing factors to death and that is pulmonary edema and congestion. Another strange occurrence is that on the left side of her body her liver, lungs, spleen and kidney were injured as if she got a severe injury there as well but again there are no external signs of violence. So, the doctor said that it is possible and because she is a very athletic person and was involved in sports that he could have sustained injuries that were just left ignored because of our tolerance to pain she wouldn’t complain about it but we know the day before she died she had a headache and a fever and that would explain the head injury. There are other factors we have to accept.
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“Does the family believe that this might have happened?”
AUDREY MATURA SHEPHERD
“They were totally shocked; totally shocked. The father has been left with far more questions than answers and they are totally unable to explain; I mean they had so many more questions for the doctor because it’s like unimaginable how that could have happened but because the doctor explains that sometimes people get injured and don’t make much of it and so there is a lot more looking into the situation that needs to be observed.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“That injury that she might have gotten when playing sports, wouldn’t she should have shown some kind of physical sign?”
AUDREY MATURA SHEPHERD
“He said we need to look at any injuries in the past week or two; there are more questions than answers at this point as to how the injury came about. It’s clear what caused the death what is not clear is what caused that injury. Only the medical experts will be able to tell you how come you can have such severe injuries internally but there is no evidence externally. That was the big question mark on the whole situation.”
Matura-Shepherd says that at this point the family does not suspect any foul play.
AUDREY MATURA SHEPHERD
“Well the next step is to cooperate with the police and they themselves will be asking questions from the school. There may have been practice sessions, there might have been altercations there might be many things that we don’t know that may have caused the injury that you just leave unmentioned. This is a 12 year old girl, she is an athletic person, she horse plays a lot, she has friends and she’s very much involved in physical activities. She is used to falling down being tough and rough. She may have sustained an injury and did not make much of it. So, this is a severe bleeding of the brain that’s what happened; how fast or how slow it happens that is what we are looking at and what she might have done in the past week or two.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“Does she have a pass medical history as it relates to this?”
AUDREY MATURA SHEPHERD
“That’s one of the big questions the doctor asked, we asked, everybody asked; the family said, no; she was very healthy, she doesn’t even go to the doctor, doesn’t even catch a cold; very health, very athletic very strong. No medical condition that is known. Clearly the doctor took some samples and he will be running the visual test to see what if anything.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“Does the family suspects in even the most minimum amount that there might have been some foul play?”
AUDREY MATURA SHEPHERD
“Honestly at this point the family doesn’t suspect anyone or anything and so they will just cooperate with the police. The cause of sudden death was a part of the process from the start and they didn’t even know how they can proceed with it until they got the post mortem results. They needed to see what the results are and how they would deal with it.”
Matura says that a Coroner’s inquest will be conducted. Sabrina Almendarez will be laid to rest tomorrow in Independence Village.
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