Crystal Canales: Mother arrested after daughter found dead in "mummified" state, severely malnourished
Delilah Villegas was only 19 and had severe autism. Her mother is charged with reckless endangerment - murder charges to follow?
When police in Balch Springs, Texas, responded to a home on Valentine’s Day 2025 after a 911 caller reported that her daughter was struggling to breathe, they walked into a mortifying scene.
Delilah Villegas, 19, lay deceased in a fetal position on a bed made of a single mattress on two pallets, covered in comforters, sheets, and pillows. CBS, citing the Balch Springs Police Department’s (BPSD) news release, said officers were greeted by a strong, foul odor coming from the room.
Paramedics arrived and confirmed the absence of vital signs. They also found that the young woman had been dead for six to 24 hours.
Investigators also examined her to find severe malnutrition, numerous wounds, and bones exposed on her right thigh, shoulder, hip, buttocks, hand and ankle, according to CBS.
Balch Springs police officer Pedro Gonzalez described Villegas’ condition as “skin to bone” during a Feb. 22, 2025 press conference. He added that she had large lacerations, exposed limbs which were decaying, and looked like she had been mummified on the floor. An outline on that spot lead police to believe she had been there for a prolonged period.
“Originally, when the officers arrived, they thought she was probably 13 and didn't realize she was 19 years old. It was, as described, skin to bone. There were large lacerations, exposing decaying limbs and even some of the bones from her shoulder and on her arm and her leg,” he said.
Villegas’ mother, Crysal Canales, revealed that she did not seek medical care for her daughter.
Citing the affidavit, NBC reports that Canales told police if she tried to take Villegas to a doctor, her daughter would become violent.
Family members revealed that Villegas, who had severe autism, was non-verbal and wore a diaper. They told police she would kick, hit, and punch people.
Police confirmed that the last hospital visit or call for service at the home had been in 2021. During a welfare check that year, the BSPD says they found nothing to be concerned about at the time.
Yajaira Pardo, Villegas’ aunt, told NBC that she hasn’t seen her niece in five years, since Pardo’s brother’s (Villegas’ father) funeral.
“Delilah was like any other little girl. She was a joy. She was always happy,” she said, adding that Villegas loved nature and never went anywhere without her purple blanket.
“I always had a gut feeling after my brother passed. It was always a fear of mine that something would’ve happened to her because there never was a way for us to be in contact with her. There wasn’t a way for us to communicate with her. But in the back of mind, I told myself, she was going to be ok, because she’s with her mom. Her mom is going to take care of her,” she continued.
Gonzalez said they arrested Canales and charged her with reckless conduct, resulting in serious bodily injury to a disabled person, a second-degree felony.
He added that Villegas’ grandmother and great-uncle also lived in the home. According to the affidavit, the grandmother told police that Canales hadn’t allowed her to see Vigellas in weeks. The great-uncle claimed he hadn’t seen her for a year. It is unknown if they will face charges.