A 12-year-old cheerleader from Texas tragically passed away on Monday after enduring unexplained severe injuries. The girl’s parents, who attempted to treat her with smoothies and vitamins, are now facing charges for not seeking immediate medical attention, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Miranda Sipps, a student at Jourdanton Junior High School, was taken to the hospital on Monday night after her mother called for help when the girl began experiencing respiratory distress. Despite the efforts of the medical staff at Methodist Hospital, Sipps could not be saved.
The girl’s mother, Denise Balbaneda, and her stepfather, Gerald Gonzalez, 40, were arrested for their delay in seeking medical help. The authorities stated that the girl was “mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive” for four days before her parents sought medical assistance.
Sheriff David Soward, during a press conference, suggested that the parents did not alert authorities sooner due to their reluctance to draw attention to the girl’s condition. However, he did not provide further details about the nature of Sipps’ injuries or how they occurred.
The Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into the incident, determining that Sipps had sustained “serious life-threatening” injuries on Thursday evening. Despite her condition, the parents did not immediately call 911, according to the Sheriff’s department.
Soward revealed that before her death, the unresponsive girl was fed smoothies and vitamins by her mother and stepfather. He also suggested that they might have attempted to administer oxygen to her at some point. The Sheriff added that the parents believed they could nurse the girl back to health and did not want the attention that would come if the girl’s injuries were known.
The Sheriff also noted that the girl could only slightly move her hands and flutter her eyes during the four-day period. He alleged that the mother left with the child before authorities arrived at their home, as she did not want law enforcement inside the house.
Balbaneda and Gonzalez were arrested on Tuesday and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree felony. The investigation is still ongoing as authorities await the final autopsy report.