Cops: 12-year-old Boy Died Playing "Choking Game"

SANTA MONICA -- Police believe a 12-year-old boy in Santa Monica died last week after engaging in a dangerous asphyxiation game referred to as the "choking game."

Police responded to a medical emergency at 5:08 p.m. on April 20 in the 800 block of 18th Street.

Officers discovered a 12-year-old Erik Robinson, a 6th-grader at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, in full cardiac arrest. He had apparently hanged himself using a rope in his kitchen.

Robinson was taken to a local hospital. The next day, he was taken off life support and pronounced dead a short time later.

A preliminary investigation revealed Robinson may have been playing the "choking game."

Det. Maury Sumlin, of the Santa Monica Police Department, said an autopsy and interviews with friends led to that conclusion.

In the choking game, pressure is applied to the neck to restrict oxygen and/or blood flow of to the brain, creating a desired euphoric high.

Police say the case is being investigated as an accidental death.

Officials at Lincoln Middle School said they plan to talk to parents about the issue soon.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District notified students and parents at the school about Robinson's death April 21, but called it only a "tragic accident."

Authorities described the cause of death for the first time Wednesday.

The school district's emergency response team provided counseling for students last week.

District Superintendent Tim Cuneo said there was no indication the game had become a trend among students.

Robinson was a Boy Scout and volunteered for a conflict-resolution program at his school sponsored by the L.A. County Bar Association. He wanted to become a peer mediator next year, Det. Sumlin said.

He aspired to attend West Point, and wanted to become a police officer, according to Sumlin.

Robinson's family plans to hold a memorial at 7 p.m. Thursday at Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset Blvd. in Pacific Palisades.

In lieu of flowers, Robinson's mother has requested that donations be sent to the non-profit group Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play.