13-year-old autistic student dies after being restrained at school

A 13-year-old autistic student has died after he was restrained by staff during an incident at his school in El Dorado Hills, authorities said Thursday.

The incident occurred Nov. 28 at Guiding Hands School, about 30 miles east of Sacramento. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said the boy turned violent and had to be restrained by school staff to prevent other students and staff members from getting hurt.

While he was restrained, the student became unresponsive, the Sheriff’s Office said. A teacher administered CPR until emergency responders arrived. He was taken to Mercy Hospital of Folsom and later to UC Davis Medical Center.

Two days later, the Sheriff’s Office learned that the boy, who was 6 feet tall and 280 pounds, had died. It’s unclear when the death occurred or what caused it.

The Sheriff’s Office said there appears to be no evidence of foul play or criminal intent.

The Sacramento Bee reported that the California Department of Education had launched an investigation and suspended the private school’s certification.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek