A teenage boy in Santa Clara, California, has taken his own life after being bullied by other students for being unhoused, his father said.
Speaking to KTVU, Jose Bautista, the father of 14-year-old Jose Zamora, said his son died last Tuesday after being taunted by students, including those on his junior varsity football team.
“They were spitting on him, hitting him on the back of the helmet,” Bautista told KTVU, adding that he had heard from other students that his son’s teammates at Santa Clara high school had been bullying him for being unhoused and having no mother.
“I miss hearing him, seeing him, I miss picking him up,” Bautista told the outlet, adding that his son had just started at the high school in August as a freshman and Bautista would pick him up after football practice. “He was trying to make me happy … He was trying to be a better child,” he said.
According to Bautista, other football players had found out that his son was living at the Bill Wilson Center, a non-profit shelter that helps youth facing issues including homelessness.
Bautista told KTVU that he and his son became unhoused after they were evicted from their apartment earlier this year and that his son was being treated at the center for mental health concerns.
“We were bonding more. He was waiting for a place to live instead of the shelter,” Bautista told the outlet, adding that he was hoping to find a new home before the holidays.
Following Zamora’s death, Santa Clara police released a statement on Friday, saying that it is currently investigating the tragedy, adding: “We understand the loss of a loved one is a tragic event and we encourage anyone who may be struggling to reach out for help which may include suicide prevention hotlines and or mental health professionals.”
Speaking to the Silicon Valley Voice, a spokesperson for the Bill Wilson Center said that the organization is “aware of the situation and are cooperating with the investigation currently under way”.
Meanwhile, Gary Waddell, Santa Clara’s school district superintendent, told KTVU that “administrators have already taken initial actions in response”.
“We in no way condone bullying, harassment or retribution of any kind and take such allegations seriously. We strive to provide as many facts as possible to the community while preserving our duty to protect the privacy and confidentiality of both students and families,” Waddell added.
Bautista, who held a vigil for his son at Santa Clara high school on Friday, told KTVU that he wants to share his son’s story publicly because “I just don’t want this to happen to other people like it happened to me”.
Along with other family members, Bautista has created an online fundraiser to help with his son’s funeral costs, saying: “In this difficult time of sadness, after the loss of our beloved son, we are thanking the many, many people reaching out to support us. We have been asked by many of you how you can help. As you know, along with the grief of loss, we also have expenses to lay Jose to his final rest … Thank you for any and all support you have provided.”
As of Saturday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised nearly $144,000 from more than 3,700 donors, exceeding its goal of $110,000.
• In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
