A 12-year-old Texas girl tragically died after her mother and stepfather allegedly failed to seek necessary medical attention for her life-threatening injuries, authorities said Wednesday, August 14.
According to a statement from the Atascosa County Sheriff’s OfficeThe young woman, identified as Miranda Sipps, was a cheerleader at Jourdanton High School. She died on Monday, August 12, just days before her 13th birthday.
An investigation carried out by the Criminal Sheriff’s Office The Investigation Division revealed that Miranda suffered serious injuries on Thursday, August 8, four days before her death. Despite the severity of her condition, her parents reportedly did not seek medical assistance, even when she was left physically and mentally incapacitated.
“The investigation revealed that the parents failed to seek medical assistance for the child, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and unresponsive. It appears the mother ultimately called 9-1-1 when the child began experiencing breathing difficulties,” the sheriff’s office said.
During a news conference, Sheriff David Soward explained that the parents tried to care for Miranda at home, even though she was “pretty much unconscious.” They apparently tried several remedies, including trying to feed her a vitamin shake. “Of course, with someone who is unconscious, that’s hard to do,” Soward said. according My Saint Anthony.
Soward suggested the parents believed they could heal Miranda on their own and were likely concerned about the attention that would be drawn if her injuries became known. He did not provide specific details about how Miranda was injured, but said she was showing slight signs of life when authorities arrived.
The girl’s mother, Denise Balbaneda, 36, and stepfather, Gerald Gonzales, 40, both of Christine, Texas, were arrested Aug. 13 and charged with injuring a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree felony.
The sheriff’s office said that after Balbaneda finally called 9-1-1, she was intercepted by authorities while on her way to the hospital. Miranda was then transported by EMS to Methodist Hospital in Atascosa, where medical personnel did everything they could to save her. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at 9:55 p.m. local time. The investigation into Miranda’s death is ongoing and the final autopsy report is pending, according to the sheriff’s office.
