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12-year-old girl dies in the US after parents use smoothies, vitamins to treat her life-threatening injuries
The 12-year-old girl, whose mother and step-dad tried treating her injuries with smoothies, was reportedly non-responsive and “laying on a pallet in the house.”
A 12-year-old girl tragically lost her life in Texas after her parents allegedly tried to treat her life-threatening injuries with smoothies and vitamins. The incident has sparked an outrage among people, with many demanding strict actions against the accused.
According to a statement from the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office, the authorities received a call requesting medical assistance from a woman. Following this, the dispatchers “instructed the mother to stop her vehicle, and the EMS met her. They found the victim, a cheerleader, unconscious but alive in the vehicle.
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She was immediately transported to the nearest hospital for treatment, and the Sheriff's office simultaneously launched an investigation to know more about the “circumstances surrounding the child's injuries.” Despite the hospital emergency room working “vigorously to treat the victim”, she was pronounced dead later the same night.
What did the investigators say?
Sergeant Investigator Robert Newman, who led the investigation, determined that the child received life-threatening injuries, but the parents “failed to seek medical assistance for the girl, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive.” It is when the girl finally had respiratory distress, her mother called the emergency services.
Who are the charges?
The mother and the stepfather of the deceased child were charged with Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury by Ommission. After this, the couple was arrested from their residence and taken to Atascosa County Jail. They are identified as 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda and 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales.
The department added that the “investigation is ongoing and the final autopsy report is pending” as they concluded their post. They also shared pictures of the accused.
What did social media say about this horrific incident?
People have taken to social media to express their reactions to the incident.
“Why is she smiling in her mugshot,” posted a Facebook user. “So sad, such a horrible situation,” added another. A third person commented, “They show no remorse.” A fourth expressed, “She was just a baby.” A fifth wrote, “This is so sad for this little girl. She suffered for days and the mom did nothing to help her child.”
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“She was not talking. She basically could flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit over a four-day period,” said Sheriff David Soward to NBC News while talking about the girl’s condition before her mother called the authorities. “And they had her laying on a pallet in the house.”
Reportedly, the mother showed “little to no remorse” about her daughter’s death. The step-dad “displayed some remorse”.
