Honk News (Houston, TX) – A Texas mother faces charges following the discovery of her 19-year-old daughter, who is nonspeaking and has severe autism, found dead in a condition that authorities have termed “mummified.”
On Friday, February 14, at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time, Crystal Canales contacted 911 to inform them that her daughter Delilah Villegas was unresponsive and not breathing, as stated in a press release from the Balch Springs Police Department.
During a press conference, Pedro Gonzalez, a public information officer with the department, stated that first responders reached Canales’ Balch Springs residence prior to the police and chose not to perform CPR due to the “position” and “condition” in which Villegas was discovered.
Upon arrival, officers encountered a “strong foul odor” emanating from Villegas’ bedroom, where the teen was discovered lying on the floor in a “near-fetal position,” according to authorities.
According to police, Villegas was found in a state of extreme malnutrition and exhibited numerous bruises and contusions on her body, leading officers to perceive her as significantly younger than her actual age. Gonzalez informed the media that “initially, when the officers showed up, they believed she was likely 13 and were unaware that she was actually 19 years old.”
Gonzalez described Villegas as appearing to be in a “mummified” condition, noting that her shoulder bone was “protruding out.”
Read More – Lindsay Lohan’s Father in Jail after Assaulting Estranged Wife in Texas; Faces Domestic Violence Charges
The BSPD reported that Villegas exhibited bedsores on her body, and markings on the floor suggested she had remained in the same position for an extended duration.
Despite Canales’ assertion that Villegas was alive prior to the arrival of first responders and had consumed a handful of Goldfish crackers earlier, authorities suspect she had been deceased for at least four hours, as evidenced by the onset of rigor mortis and liver mortis, which are indicators that follow death.
Medical examiners later assessed that Villegas had been deceased for an extended period: between six to 24 hours prior to authorities’ arrival at the residence.
Authorities carried out an arrest warrant for Canales on Friday, February 21, leading to her arrest and subsequent charge of one count of serious bodily injury to a disabled individual, classified as a second-degree felony.
Authorities spoke with Villegas’ grandmother and great-uncle, who resided with her and Canales. However, Gonzalez refrained from commenting on the possibility of them facing charges as the investigation into the young woman’s death continues.
As of February 21, Canales was held in Balch Springs Jail, pending transfer to the Dallas County Jail. It remains uncertain whether she has legal counsel available to speak for her.