Parents Arrested After Daughter’s Death from At-Home Treatment For Life Threatening Injuries

A Texas couple has been arrested after their 12-year-old daughter died Monday night following four days of severe injuries.

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The Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that Denise Balbaneda and her husband, Gerald Gonalez,40, have been arrested for failing to seek immediate medical help for their daughter, Miranda Sipps. According to The New York Post, her mother and stepfather initially treated the beloved cheerleader at home with vitamins and smoothies, who thought they could nurse her back to health. However, the situation took a tragic turn when Miranda went into respiratory distress on Monday evening, leading Balbaneda to seek medical help finally.

By the time emergency services transported Miranda to the Methodist Hospital for treatment, she could not be saved. An investigation was launched by the sheriff’s office into the circumstances leading up to her death, and it was revealed that she had sustained “life-threatening” injuries on Thursday evening. Still, her parents decided not to contact emergency services. During a press conference, Sheriff David Soward said he believes that the couple might have avoided seeking medical help to prevent drawing attention to Miranda’s medical condition.

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“They thought they could nurse her back to health and did not want the attention that this would draw if the little girl was injured,”

It is unclear about the cause of Miranda’s injuries, and Soward said she didn’t suffer any 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 ongoing as deputies are waiting for the final autopsy report.