Texas cheerleader dead: Parents arrested after 12yo with ‘life-threatening’ injuries given smoothie treatment

A mother and stepfather have been arrested after a promising 12-year-old cheerleader died from ‘life-threatening injuries’ that they tried to treat with smoothies and vitamins.

Emergency services arrived to assist Miranda Sipps after her mother Denise Balbaneda, called 911 for help on Monday night, before the girl was found in a critical condition

A statement from the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office in Christine near San Antonio stated that emergency responders met Sipps and her mother on the highway after they had left their home, and rushed the unconscious child to the hospital.

Sipps was pronounced dead in the emergency room shortly after her arrival.

The sheriff’s office revealed that Sipps had suffered severe and life-threatening injuries the previous Thursday and for the following four days, Sipps’ mother and stepfather failed to get her medical assistance even though she was largely unconscious.

“She was not talking, she basically could flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit over four days,” Sheriff David Soward said during a news conference.

“They had her laying on a pallet in the house.”

Soward said that Sipps’ parents attempted to treat her injuries by giving her smoothies with vitamins.

As the girl’s condition worsened and she began having trouble breathing on Monday evening, her mother finally called 911.

“They were trying to give her smoothies, but somebody unconscious cannot swallow,” Soward noted.

The mother was identified as 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda and the stepfather as 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales.

Both were arrested on Tuesday afternoon and charged with a first-degree felony for injury to a child by omission.

Investigators believed the couple avoided seeking medical attention to prevent law enforcement from coming to their home.

Even after calling 911, Balbaneda had chosen to leave their house and meet emergency responders on the road.

The cause of Sipps’ injuries remains under investigation.

Soward declined to provide further details, stating only that they were unrelated to her school, which began on Monday. The final autopsy report is pending.

Soward expressed his surprise at the unusual nature of the case.

“This is not something we typically run across or have, but in this business it’s always that way,” Soward remarked.

“The next call’s going to be something strange or something you’ve never dealt with before and this case here is a good example of that.”