Texas girl dies after parents tried to treat life-threatening injuries with smoothies and vitamins: police

Two Texas parents are facing charges in connection with the death of their 12-year-old daughter after they allegedly tried to treat her life-threatening injuries with smoothies and vitamins.

Denise Balbaneda, 36, and Gerald Gonzales, 40, were arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated assault by omission, a first-degree felony. Their bail was set at $200,000 each.

The child, identified as Miranda Sipps, a cheerleader at Jourdanton Junior High School, suffered life-threatening and serious injuries on August 8 and was taken home by her mother and stepfather, according to the New York Post. The parents then allegedly tried to treat the girl's injuries with smoothies and vitamins instead of immediately taking her to a hospital.

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The Atascosa County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that Balbaneda called 911 at 8 p.m. on Monday, four days after the girl was injured, to report that her daughter was having trouble breathing.

“The investigation revealed that the parents did not seek medical attention for the girl, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and unresponsive,” the sheriff's press release said. “It appears that the mother eventually called 9-1-1 when the girl began to have difficulty breathing.”

Dispatchers asked Balbaneda to stop her vehicle on the side of the road because she was trying to drive her daughter to the hospital herself so that emergency services could pick her up and take the child to the hospital.

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The mother called 911 at 8 p.m. on Monday, four days after the girl was injured, to report that her daughter was having trouble breathing. (iStock)

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The girl was still alive but unconscious when emergency services reached her. She was taken to hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

The Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the circumstances of the injuries that led to the child's death.