GoFundMe/Atascosa County Sheriff's Office
A 12-year-old girl from Texas tragically died on August 12 after her mother and stepfather allegedly neglected to seek necessary medical attention for her life-threatening injuries, according to authorities. The girl, identified as Miranda Sipps, a cheerleader at Jourdanton Jr. High School, succumbed to her injuries on Monday.
The Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into Sipps’ death shortly after it occurred. The investigation revealed that Sipps sustained “serious life-threatening injuries” on the evening of August 8, four days before her death. The sheriff’s office noted that despite her severe condition, the girl’s mother and stepfather did not immediately seek medical assistance.
Sheriff David Soward described the situation, stating, “The investigation revealed the parents failed to seek medical assistance for the girl, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive.” He further explained that the mother only called 9-1-1 when Sipps went into respiratory distress.
During a news conference, Sheriff Soward elaborated on the parents’ actions, saying they “tried tending to her” at home while she “was primarily unconscious” and attempted various remedies, such as giving her a smoothie with vitamins. “Of course, somebody that’s unconscious, that’s hard to do,” Soward remarked. The sheriff identified the victim as Miranda Sipps, who was set to turn 13 later this month.
Soward added, “Basically they thought they could nurse her back to health, and we do not think they wanted the attention that this would draw if the little girl was injured, which is strangely ironic, but that was their line of thinking.” He did not provide details on the nature of Sipps’ injuries or their cause but noted that when authorities arrived, she could “flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit” and had been given some oxygen.
Denise Balbaneda, 36, and Gerald Gonzales, 40, both of Christine, were arrested on August 13 and booked into the Atascosa County Jail. They face charges of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree felony.
Authorities reported that after the 9-1-1 call, they met the mother en route to the hospital, where EMS transported Sipps to Methodist Hospital in Atascosa. Despite “vigorous” efforts by medical staff, Sipps was pronounced dead at 9:55 p.m. The investigation is ongoing, and the final autopsy report is still pending.
