The parents of a 12-year-old Texas cheerleader were arrested this week after their daughter died of “life-threatening injuries” they tried to treat with smoothies and vitamins.
Miranda Sipps’ mother Denise Balbaneda (36) and stepfather Gerald Gonzales (40) were arrested last week after it emerged that they had kept the 12-year-old at home despite the fact that she “could only blink and barely move her hands” for four days. The girl was reportedly injured days earlier, on August 8, said David Soward, sheriff of Atascosa County, Texas, during a press conference. During all that time, the girl’s parents did not call 911 or seek medical attention for the child.
Instead, they left her on the ground and tried to nurse her back to health themselves with vitamins and smoothies. “They basically thought they could nurse her back to health and we think they didn’t want to draw attention to themselves,” the sheriff said.
David Soward did not specify the ultimate cause of death. The county coroner will perform an autopsy as part of the ongoing investigation. The teen suffered no broken bones, the sheriff noted. “We’re going to get to the bottom of how the injuries occurred,” he said.
Left with the child
On August 12, someone from the family reportedly called 911, but the mother reportedly left the home with her daughter. “According to our information, she didn’t want officers at the home, so she left with the child,” the sheriff said. Eventually, the mother was able to get into her car so an ambulance could take 12-year-old Miranda Sipps to the hospital. The girl eventually died last Monday.
The mother and stepfather are being held on $200,000 bond. They are both charged with causing serious bodily injury to a child through negligence. More charges could be forthcoming.
Balbaneda, who has another child living with the biological father, showed little to no remorse, the sheriff said. The girl’s stepfather, Gonzales, reportedly showed some remorse.