A 12-year-old cheerleader from Texas died on Monday, four days after she sustained unexplained "life-threatening" injuries that her parents tried to treat with smoothies and vitamins, authorities revealed on Wednesday. Miranda Sipps, a student at Jourdanton Junior High School, died in the hospital on Monday night.
This came after her mother finally decided to call for medical help when the young girl went into respiratory distress, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office. The girl's mother, Denise Balbaneda, and her stepfather, Gerald Gonzalez, 40, were arrested for failing to seek medical help sooner during the four days that the girl was "mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive," the sheriff said.
Nothing Less Than Murder
Sheriff David Soward said at a press conference that the couple delayed seeking help because they didn't want to attract attention to the girl's condition. He did not disclose specific details about Sipps' injuries or their cause, according to reports.
The sheriff's office launched an investigation, and detectives found that the preteen sustained "serious life-threatening" injuries on Thursday evening.
However, the parents did not immediately call 911, despite the fact that she was "mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive," as the sheriff's department said.
Balbaneda only sought help after her daughter went into respiratory distress, according to the law enforcement agency.
Before the girl died, her mother and stepfather reportedly gave her smoothies and vitamins, even though she was unresponsive, Sheriff Soward said, as reported by My San Antonio.
He also mentioned that the couple may have tried to provide her with oxygen at some point.
"Basically they thought they could nurse her back to health and we do not think they wanted the attention that this would draw if the little girl was injured," he said.
"Which is strangely ironic, but that was their line of thinking."
All Efforts in Vain
The sheriff added that the girl could only "flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit over the span of four days."
He also claimed that although the call for help was made from their home, the mother left with the child before authorities arrived because she did not want law enforcement to enter the house.
Soward did not provide details on how Sipps was injured but noted that she had no broken bones.
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.
