BALCH SPRINGS, Texas (KTVT) – A small memorial and a sense of sadness remain outside the Texas home where a 19-year-old woman with autism was found dead on Valentine’s Day.
Police say they found 19-year-old Delilah Villegas, who had autism and was nonverbal, dead Feb. 14 inside a home in Balch Springs.
WARNING: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers.
Investigators say her mother, Crystal Canales, called 911 that afternoon to report her daughter was having trouble breathing. When officers arrived, they smelled something foul coming from Villegas’ bedroom and found her dead in a near-fetal position.
Medical personnel determined Villegas had been dead for at least six and possibly up to 24 hours. After closer examination, authorities discovered signs of severe malnutrition, multiple wounds and exposed bones on the victim’s body.
“They thought she was probably 13 and didn’t realize she was 19 years old. It was, as described, skin to bone. There was large lacerations exposing decaying limbs,” said Balch Springs Officer Pedro Gonzalez at a Saturday news conference. “She looked like she was in a mummified state on the floor.”
When asked about Villegas’ injuries, Canales said she did not seek medical care for her daughter. Detectives concluded the mother’s failure to do so likely constituted reckless conduct, leading to serious bodily injury to a disabled person — a second-degree felony. She was arrested Friday.
Investigators say Villegas’ grandmother and great-uncle also live in the Balch Springs home. The grandmother claimed not to have seen the 19-year-old in several weeks and the great-uncle claimed not to have seen her for a year, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The affidavit also says police found a deadbolt and lock on Villegas’ bedroom door. Inside the room was a single mattress on the floor and two pallets of comforters, sheets and pillows.
Neighbor Denise Gomez, who knew the victim, says she feels crushed over what happened.
“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,” Gomez said. “I hope she can rest in peace because nobody deserves to be suffering like that.”
In addition, a woman who didn’t want to be identified shared photos of Villegas. She says her daughter went to school with the young woman, and she often saw her from 2014 to 2020. Since she hadn’t seen her in nearly five years, she assumed the family had moved.
Villegas’ grandmother and great-uncle don’t face charges in the case at this time.
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