Parents charged with neglect, Texas girl, 12, dies

Texas Parents Charged After Daughter, 12, Dies Due to Lack of Medical Care

• A 12-year-old Texas girl, Miranda Sipps, died after her mother, 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda, and stepfather, 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales, failed to seek medical attention for her life-threatening injuries.
• On Monday, the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation and charged the parents with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury omission.
• The office had received a report from Balbaneda about Miranda needing medical assistance. Despite instructions, Miranda didn't receive help until first responders reached her on the highway.
• Miranda was unconscious but alive when first responders arrived, and she later succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.
• The Jourdanton ISD expressed grief over Miranda's loss, stating that a School Crisis Team is available for support.
• During the investigation, it was revealed that Miranda had sustained severe injuries days prior, and her parents failed to seek medical help even as her condition worsened.
• Sheriff David Soward stated, "The investigation revealed the parents failed to seek medical assistance for the girl, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive. It appears the mother called 9-1-1 when the girl went into respiratory distress."
• Gonzales and Balbaneda were arrested on Tuesday from their home in Christine, located 53 miles from San Antonio. They reportedly "basically confessed" to their negligence, according to Soward.