Mother of Texas girl Miranda Sipps charged in death of 12-year-old girl
A 12-year-old Texas girl died after her mother and stepfather refused to seek medical help when the girl suffered life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
On Monday, officials with the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into the death of the girl, later identified as Miranda Sipps. The girl’s 36-year-old mother, Denise Balbaneda, and 40-year-old stepfather, Gerald Gonzales, were ultimately charged with injury to a child by omission causing aggravated assault, according to Sheriff David Soward.
The investigation began when the sheriff’s office received a report from her mother around 8 p.m. that the child needed medical attention. They instructed Balbaneda to stop her car on the highway so first responders could meet her.
When they arrived at the scene, Miranda was unconscious but alive, Soward said. She was taken to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Miranda was a cheerleader at Jourdanton Jr. High School.
“Jourdanton ISD is currently dealing with the tragic loss of one of our middle school students,” the school district said in a statement Wednesday. “Jourdanton ISD has a school crisis team of professionals trained to assist students, parents/guardians and school staff during difficult times such as these.”
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During their investigation, authorities discovered that Miranda had suffered serious, life-threatening injuries just days earlier that had not been treated.
“The investigation revealed that the parents did not seek medical attention for the girl even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and unresponsive,” Soward said in a statement. “It appears that the mother eventually called 9-1-1 when the girl began to experience respiratory distress.”
At a press conference shared by KSAT, Soward said it was unclear how the child sustained his injuries and an autopsy was underway.
“She didn’t speak,” Soward said. “She could basically only blink her eyes and move her hands a little for a period of four days. They left her lying on a cot in the house.”
Gonzales and Balbaneda were taken into custody without incident on Tuesday from their home in Christine, about 53 miles from San Antonio.
Soward also told reporters that the parents “basically confessed” to not getting her treated. He added that while she had not received any medical care, “they tried to give her smoothies, but someone who is unconscious cannot swallow.”
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].
