ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas – The stepfather and mother charged in connection with the death of 12-year-old Miranda Sipps have bonded out of jail, the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sipps’ mother, 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda, was released on bond Thursday evening. Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward told KSAT that Sipps’ stepfather, 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales, bonded out of jail Saturday afternoon.
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Sheriff Soward said Balbaneda has to wear an ankle monitor following her release, as her bail bondsman required.
Balbaneda and Gonzales were both arrested on Aug. 13 and booked into the Atascosa County jail on injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission charges. Their bonds were set at $200,000 apiece.
The sheriff’s office said Balbaneda called 9-1-1 from her home in Christine at 8:20 p.m. on Aug. 12 to report that Sipps was not breathing.
Balbadenda put Sipps in her vehicle and started driving toward a hospital in Jourdanton, Dispatchers advised Balbaneda to stop her vehicle and meet EMS at the intersection of Texas Highway 16 and FM 140, Atascosa County deputies said.
EMS treated Sipps as she was transported to Methodist Hospital Atascosa where she was treated for an hour, but medical staff could not improve her condition.
Sipps was pronounced dead at 9:55 p.m.
Investigators questioned Balbaneda and learned that Miranda received serious, life-threatening injuries on the afternoon of Aug. 8, the sheriff’s office said.
Soward later said Sipps’ injuries were life-threatening and put her in a state of unconsciousness.
Sipps, a Jourdanton ISD student, would have turned 13 later this month.
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