On Valentine’s Day, Delilah Villegas, a 19-year-old woman with severe autism, was discovered dead inside her Balch Springs, Texas, home.
Her mother, Crystal Canales, has since been charged with one count of serious bodily injury to a disabled person, given the “severely malnourished” and “mummified” state of Delilah’s remains.
Crystal dialed 911 at approximately 2:30 p.m. on February 14 and claimed her daughter was unresponsive. Yet, when first responders arrived on the scene, they didn’t conduct CPR due to Delilah’s “position” and “condition.”
Balch Springs Police Department (BSPD) subsequently arrived and saw Delilah lying on the floor of her bedroom in a “near-fetal position.” There was also a “strong foul odor” emanating from the room.
The 19-year-old had various bruises and contusions on her body. She reportedly looked “severely malnourished,” leading officers to initially believe she was around 13 years old.
According to Pedro Gonzalez, BSPD public information officer, Delilah looked “mummified” and had “large lacerations exposing decaying limbs, and even some of the bones from her shoulder, and on her arm, and her leg.”
Moreover, the teen’s body, which had bedsores, left an outline on the floor, which “indicated she had been in the same position for a prolonged period.”
When Crystal spoke to authorities, she claimed her daughter had consumed “a handful of Goldfish crackers earlier that day” and was breathing prior to first responders arriving at their home. However, medical examiners estimate the teen was dead for some time between six and 24 hours.
Delilah’s grandmother and great-uncle also lived at the home and have been interviewed by the police. A deadbolt and lock were found on her bedroom door, and a probable cause affidavit reportedly says Delilah’s grandmother hadn’t seen her in weeks; meanwhile, her great-uncle hadn’t seen her in a year.
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Family members alleged that Delilah, who was nonverbal, could be “very aggressive,” which is why they’d “sometimes be discouraged” from interacting with her.
One neighbor, Denise Gomez, told CBS News, “We never saw the girl come out. If you didn’t live over here for a while, you would never know that she was there.”
Yet, character witnesses called Crystal a “great mother.” Teachers described her as an “involved” parent and stated Delilah was a good student.
The police found Delilah’s home environment to be in a fine state with available food. The teen also didn’t have any major health conditions.
When Crystal was asked about Delilah’s injuries, she reportedly “acknowledged” the bed sores and said Neosporin was being used to treat them. The antibiotic ointment and rags were located in her bedroom.
Furthermore, Crystal cited her daughter’s behavior, telling the police she “did not seek medical care because Delilah would become violent.”
Following a week-long investigation, BSPD determined that “a reasonable person would have sought medical treatment” for Delilah. Crystal was arrested on Friday, February 21, and charged with one count of serious bodily injury to a disabled person, which is a second-degree felony.
She was brought to Balch Springs Jail, where she’s awaiting transfer to the Dallas County Jail.
