The mother and stepfather of a 12-year-old Texas girl were arrested on a felony charge after she died from serious injuries they tried to treat with smoothies for four days 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 being taken unconscious to the hospital, according to a by Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward. Her mother called 911 less than two hours before the girl's death and met emergency responders on a local highway to have them attend to Sipps, who was alive but unconscious, police said.
Investigators determined that Sipps suffered serious, life-threatening injuries on Aug. 8, and her parents "failed to seek medical attention" for four days even though the girl was "incapacitated and non-responsive," per the release. The cheerleader's mother, Denise Balbaneda, 36, finally called 911 when Sipps went into respiratory distress, police said.
Soward said at a news conference on Aug. 15 that he’s “not 100% sure” how the injuries occurred. He said the police investigation found that the girl was "not talking" and could only "flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit" while laying on a pallet in their home over the four-day period before her mother called 911.
No other children were in the home at the time, Soward said. The sheriff added that the parents were trying to treat the injured girl by having her drink smoothies. "They were trying to give her smoothies, but somebody who is unconscious is not able to swallow," Soward said.
He added that the mother and stepfather “confessed” about failing to act to get their daughter medical attention. Balbaneda and Sipps' stepfather, Gerald Gonzales, 40, were both arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree felony, police said.
After calling 911, Balbaneda met police and emergency responders on the highway with her daughter, rather than having them come to their home. Soward called their home "unkempt" and "sort of dirty." "Basically, 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 said.
Hospital staff attempted to save the girl for an hour before declaring her dead, Soward said. He added that there were no broken bones, and an autopsy report is pending. The sheriff did not provide additional details, saying only that it had nothing to do with anything involving the girl's school.
A GoFundMe was created by Sipps' aunt, Pricilla Chapa, to help cover funeral costs. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved niece Miranda’s passing," the fundraiser stated. "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 Aug. 13, bond had not been set for Balbaneda and Gonzales. As of Aug.
16, the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office did not know if they had retained counsel and had no updates to provide TODAY.com. Scott Stump is a trending reporter and the writer of the daily newsletter This is TODAY (which you should ) that brings the day's news, health tips, parenting stories, recipes and a daily delight right to your inbox.
He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing features and news for pop culture, parents, politics, health, style, food and pretty much everything else..
