Fourth Chinese student jailed in horrific ‘parachute kid’ bullying case, likened by judge to ‘Lord of the Flies’

A Chinese student was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday in the bullying case of a fellow “parachute kid” in a Rowland Heights park, an assault that prompted soul-searching on both sides of the Pacific for the horrific details of the attack as well as the attention it brought to the increasing numbers of teenagers who attend high school in California while their parents remain in China.

Zheng Lu, 20, who pleaded guilty to assault, is the fourth student from China to receive prison time for the incident. Three others are already serving prison terms, ranging from six to 13 years for the attack on the woman, then age 18.

A judge said the case reminded him of Lord of the Flies, William Golding’s 1954 novel about boys stranded on a deserted island without grownups.

On March 30, 2015, a group of so-called parachute kids - also known as “astronaut children” - attacked the 18-year-old victim, stripping her naked, kicking her with high-heeled shoes, slapping her and burning her with cigarettes.

In February, Yunyao “Helen” Zhai was sentenced to 13 years for her role as the alleged ringleader of the attack as well as an assault on a second victim. Zhai, 20, had earlier pleaded guilty to kidnapping and assault in both attacks and inflicting great bodily injury in one of the attacks.

Xinlei “John” Zhang, 19, received six years because of his lesser role in the two attacks.