ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas – Two Atascosa County parents were charged in connection with the death of their 12-year-old daughter, according to the sheriff’s office.
In a Tuesday news release, the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office said an investigation was underway regarding the child’s death. A mother and stepfather, identified in the release as Denise Balbaneda, 36, and Gerald Gonzales, 40, were arrested on Monday.
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According to the release, Balbaneda called 9-1-1 Monday evening concerning her unconscious daughter. Dispatchers advised Balbaneda to meet EMS at an intersection near the town of Christine.
Officials transported the child, who was alive but unconscious, to a nearby hospital, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators began questioning Balbaneda at the scene.
The child was pronounced dead later in the evening.
After speaking with the Balbaneda, investigators determined that the child received serious, life-threatening injuries on Thursday evening, the sheriff’s office said. Balbaneda and Gonzales, the child’s stepfather, “failed to seek medical assistance for the girl, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive,” the release said.
Balbaneda ultimately called 9-1-1 on Monday after the child had gone into distress.
According to the ACSO, the parents have been charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission.
The pair were arrested Monday afternoon at their residence without incident. Both were booked into the Atascosa County Jail. Their bonds have not been set as of Tuesday evening, the release said.
The sheriff’s office investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy report for the child is pending.