The mother and stepfather of a 12-year-old Texas girl were arrested on felony charges after the girl died from serious injuries they spent four days trying to treat with smoothies instead of seeking medical attention, police said.
Miranda Sipps, a cheerleader at Jourdanton Junior High School in Christine, Texas, was pronounced dead at 9:55 p.m. on Aug. 12 after she was rushed to the hospital unconscious, according to a news release from Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward.
Her mother called 911 less than two hours before the girl’s death and found emergency responders on a local highway responding to Sipps, who was alive but unconscious, police said.
Investigators concluded that Sipps suffered serious, life-threatening injuries on August 8 and her parents “did not seek medical attention” for four days, even though the girl was “incapacitated and unresponsive,” the press release said.
The cheerleader’s mother, Denise Balbaneda, 36, eventually called 911 when Sipps began having trouble breathing, police said.
Soward said at an Aug. 15 news conference that he was “not 100 percent sure” how the injuries occurred. He said the police investigation found the girl “did not speak” and could only “blink her eyes and move her hands a little” while lying on a cot in her home during the four days before her mother called 911. No other children were in the house at the time, Soward said.
The sheriff added that the parents tried to treat the injured girl by giving her smoothies to drink.
“They tried giving her smoothies, but someone who is unconscious can’t swallow,” Soward said.
He added that the mother and stepfather had “admitted” to not taking any action to get their daughter medical attention.
Balbaneda and Sipps’ stepfather, 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales, were both arrested Aug. 13 and charged with aggravated battery of a child by omission, a first-degree felony, police said.
After calling 911, Balbaneda and her daughter met police and emergency responders on the highway instead of letting them come to her home. Soward described her house as “unkempt” and “kind of dirty.”
“Basically, they thought they could nurse her back to health, and we don’t think they wanted the attention that would come their way if the little girl was injured,” Soward said.
Hospital staff tried to save the girl for an hour before she was pronounced dead, Soward said, adding that there were no broken bones and an autopsy report is pending.
The sheriff did not provide further details, saying only that the incident had nothing to do with the girl’s school.
Sipps’ aunt, Pricilla Chapa, has started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our beloved niece Miranda,” the fundraiser said. “She was taken from us far too soon and in an unexpected way, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter and memories that we will cherish forever.”
As of August 13, bail had not been set for Balbaneda and Gonzales. As of August 16, the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office did not know if they had hired an attorney and had no update to share with TODAY.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com.
