CHRISTINE, Texas (Court TV) – A mother and her stepfather are in custody after a 12-year-old girl died four days after suffering “life-threatening injuries,” authorities said.

On Monday, 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda called 911 to request medical assistance. Emergency services picked Balbaneda up en route and took her daughter, Miranda Sipps, to a local hospital. Authorities said Sipps was “alive but unconscious” when emergency services met her. The child died nearly two hours later at the hospital.

Denise Balbaneda and Gerald Gonzales (Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office)

According to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation revealed that Sipps was injured on Aug. 8. Balbaneda and her husband, 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales, are accused of failing to seek medical attention when Sipps was “mentally and physically incapacitated and unresponsive.” Authorities said Balbaneda did not seek help until Sipps began having trouble breathing four days later.

At a press conference, Sheriff David Soward said the couple tried to treat Sipps’ injuries with “a number of remedies,” including smoothies and vitamins.

“Basically, they thought they could nurse her back to health, and we don’t think they wanted the attention it would bring if the little girl was injured, which is oddly ironic, but that was their mindset.”

Soward said they were convinced Balbaneda drove Sipps out of the house while they waited for emergency services because they did not want police in the house.

Authorities did not provide details on how Sipps sustained her injuries and are awaiting the autopsy report.

Balbaneda and Gonzales are charged with causing great bodily injury to a child by omission, a first-degree felony. Their bail was set at $200,000 each.

Soward said they have responded to calls to the home in the past, but did not give a reason. According to records obtained by KSAT, three calls were made in the past year, including two cases involving marks on a child.