The mother and stepfather of a 12-year-old Texas girl were arrested on felony charges after she died from significant injuries that they attempted to cure with smoothies for four days instead of seeking medical assistance, according to authorities.
Miranda Sipps, a cheerleader at Jourdanton Junior High School in Christine, Texas, was pronounced dead at 9:55 p.m. on August 12 after being taken unconscious to the hospital, according to a news release from Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward.
Her mother contacted 911 less than two hours before the girl’s death and met with emergency responders on a nearby roadway to have them attend to Sipps, who was alive but comatose, according to authorities.
According to the announcement, investigators discovered that Sipps had serious, life-threatening injuries on August 8, and her parents “failed to seek medical attention” for four days although the daughter was “incapacitated and nonresponsive.”
Denise Balbaneda, 36, the cheerleader’s mother, finally contacted 911 after Sipps experienced respiratory difficulty, according to authorities.
Soward stated at a news conference on August 15 that he is “not 100% sure” how the injuries occurred. He stated that the police inquiry discovered that the girl was “not talking” and could only “flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit” while lying on a pallet at their home for four days before her mother dialed 911. Soward stated that no other children were present in the residence at the time.
The sheriff also stated that the parents were attempting to heal the injured girl by making her drink smoothies.
“They were trying to give her smoothies, but somebody unconscious is not able to swallow,” Soward told me.
He stated that the mother and stepfather “confessed” to failing to obtain their daughter’s medical assistance.
Balbaneda and Sipps’ stepfather, Gerald Gonzales, 40, were detained on August 13 and charged with injury to a child inflicting serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree crime, according to police.
After dialing 911, Balbaneda met police and emergency responders on the roadway with her daughter rather than having them come to their house. Soward described their residence as “unkempt” and “sort of dirty.”
“They thought they could nurse her back to health, and we do not think they wanted the attention that this would draw to them if the little girl was injured,” Soward told the reporter.
Soward stated that hospital officials spent an hour attempting to revive the girl before declaring her dead. He also stated that there were no fractured bones, and an autopsy report is awaiting.
The sheriff declined to disclose any additional information, noting simply that it had nothing to do with the girl’s school.
Sipps’ aunt, Pricilla Chapa, started a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved niece Miranda’s passing,” the campaign read. “She was taken from us far too soon in an unexpected way, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and memories that we will cherish forever.”
As of August 13, no bond had been set for Balbaneda or Gonzales. As of August 16, the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office did not know if they had hired lawyers.