SAN ANTONIO — A 12-year-old Atascosa County girl's mother and stepfather were taken into custody after authorities say the child was brought to a local hospital after receiving "life-threatening injures" that left her incapacitated.
Sheriff's deputies determined, however, that those injuries were sustained by the young girl on Thursday. Officials accused the parents of neglecting to seek medical help for her right away.
In a press conference Wednesday, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said 12-year-old Miranda Sipps was primarily unconscious for four days with occasional movement. He said her mother and stepfather tried to nurse her back to health on their own, offering home remedies and even smoothies.
"It appears the mother finally called 911 when the girl went into respiratory distress," the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office said in a release.
That call came in late Monday night by the mother, who officials say was out driving with the girl. First responders found them and took the girl to the hospital – alive but unconscious – where officials say she died less than two hours later despite the efforts of staff. That's when the investigation into her injuries began.
Denise Balbaneda, 36, and Gerald Gonzales, 40, were arrested in Atascosa County and face charges of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission. They're behind bars at the county jail, and bond for each has been set at $200,000.
The sheriff says a final autopsy report is pending.
Soward said the suspects did provide an explanation as to how the girl came to be injured in the first place, but he declined to reveal specifics, citing the ongoing investigation.
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