Izabel Laxamana commits suicide after video of dad cutting off her hair was posted online

August 2024 ยท 3 minute read

A 13-year-old girl killed leaped to her death from a freeway overpass after her father cut off her hair as a punishment, and video of the aftermath made it online.

Izabel Laxamana, from Tacoma, Washington, was found on the Interstate 5 freeway last Friday after taking a fall from a bridge above, and died the next day.

Footage posted online not long before showed Izabel standing over a pile of her long, black hair as a male voice berated her.

However, police have denied that the video and the suicide are directly linked. 

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Punishment: Izabel Laxamana, 13, is pictured above in a video showing her after a haircut she was given as punishment Remnants: he footage included a glimpse of a pile of her hair, right, which had been cut off by her father

Punishment: Izabel Laxamana, 13, is pictured above in a video showing her (left) after a haircut she was given as punishment. The footage included a glimpse of a pile of her hair, right, which had been cut off by her father

Before: Izabel, pictured above before the punishment, used to have long, flowing hair. She died after jumping from a road overpass onto Interstate 5, which runs through Tacoma, Washington

Before: Izabel, pictured above before the punishment, used to have long, flowing hair. She died after jumping from a road overpass onto Interstate 5, which runs through Tacoma, Washington

In the footage, Izabel's father characterizes her rough, new haircut as 'The consequences of getting messed up.'

He adds: 'Man, you lost all that beautiful hair. Was it worth it?'

A timid Izabel said 'no', and the man asked how many times she was warned. Speaking very quietly, she seemed to respond 'a lot'.

Social media photos from before the video show her with hair well past her shoulders.

The footage has since been removed, but one of Izabel's friends has reposted the 15-second clip since.

Death: Izabel died after leaping from this bridge over the freeway. She was taken to hospital alive, but did not survive the next day. Police have said the video didn't cause her death

Death: Izabel died after leaping from this bridge over the freeway. She was taken to hospital alive, but did not survive the next day. Police have said the video didn't cause her death

According to Tacoma police, who spoke to the New York Daily News, Izabel's father did not upload the video, and never meant for it to be published.

Instead, it was apparently uploaded by a third party who had been sent the video and 'thought they were being of help' sharing it more widely. 

The department also insisted that Izabel killed herself for reasons other than the video.

It was claimed online that the suicide could have been related to bullying at school, but Tacoma police also said this was not the reason. 

According to Tacoma's News Tribune newspaper, Izabel was a student at Giaudrone Middle School.

A report, which did not identify her by name, said that medical examiners had ruled her death a suicide.

To speak to a skilled, trained counselor, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1800 273 8255. 

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