Texas cheerleader, 12, dies 'after mother and stepfather failed to seek help for mystery injuries she sustained'
A 12 year-old cheerleader died after she suffered a mystery injury and her mom and stepdad waited four days to seek treatment, police say.
Miranda Sipps, 12, died in hospital on Monday night.
Police said she had been drifting in and out of consciousness for several days before her family sounded the arm.
Her mother Denise Balbaneda, 36, and stepdad Gerald Gonzales, 40, both of Christine, have been charged with Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury by Omission, a first degree felony.
No further details have been given about the injury which ultimately killed Sipps or how she may have sustained it.
Dispatchers received a call for medical assistance at around 8pm on the night Sipps died.
They met up with the family at at Highway 16 South and FM 140 where EMS workers found her 'alive but unconscious'.
Cheerleader Miranda Sipps, center, died after her mother and father failed to seek medical treatment for a mystery injury, investigators say
Denise Balbaneda, the mom of a Texas cheerleader who succumbed to life threatening injuries, has been accused waiting four days to get her medical help
Denise Balbaneda (left) and Gerald Gonzales (right) have been charged in connection with the death
Miranda was rushed to Methodist Hospital in Atascos where she was pronounced dead less than two hours later.
Detectives launched an investigation into the circumstances of her 'serious' injuries and determined she had sustained them on August 8.
'The investigation revealed the parents failed to seek medical assistance for the girl, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive, police said in a statement.
'It appears the mother finally called 9-1-1 when the girl went into respiratory distress.'
Balbaneda and Gonzales were booked into the Atascosa County Jail on Tuesday.
An investigation is ongoing and a full autopsy to determine the girl's cause of death is pending.
At a press conference, police said they were not releasing details of her injuries as they were not yet sure how they were sustained. He confirmed she did not have any broken bones or marks on her body.
They did disclose that police had previously been called to the family home without giving further information.
The 12-year-old girl, from Christine, was a cheerleader with the Jourdanton Junior High Cheer team
'They told us how the injuries happened and they told us they failed to act,' Sheriff David Soward said.
'You can throw out how the injuries occurred, you still have a duty as a parent to provide medical care for a 12-year-old child.
'We're not talking them assaulting the child, trying to kill the child or anything like that we're talking about them failing to act.
'It had nothing to do with school, we have a story from the mother, but at this time we are not prepared to release that.'
He stated that he believed the parents thought they could nurse her back to health, but were trying to avoid attracting any external attention from law enforcement to their home, which he described as 'unkept'.
However, he indicated there was nothing else untoward discovered at the home in terms of alcohol or narcotics.
The preteen was a cheerleader with the Jourdanton Junior High Cheer team.
Her devastated family has since set up a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs where they paid tribute to the youngster.
'It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved niece Miranda's passing,' a statement on the GoFundMe reads.
'She was taken from us far too soon in an unexpected way, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and memories that we will cherish forever.'
The offense the couple are charged with is defined as failure by a parent or caretaker to appropriately respond to or prevent an injury.
It can include scenarios where a legal guardian fails to provide food and water, fails to protect a child from abuse or does not seek medical attention when required.
The first degree felony is first-degree felony, punishable between five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
Police have yet to say if further charges may follow.
