Alice Springs turns out to support bake sale for Siguenza family in wake of alleged attack on baby
In the wake of a horrific alleged attack which left a baby girl’s skull fractured, Alice Springs residents came together to support the devastated family by holding a bake sale. Find out more.
Alice Springs
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A cohort of Alice Springs “baseball mums” have stepped up to help a family in need, after a mother and daughter became victims of a horror alleged home invasion and assault.
On Friday, a bake sale was held at the Alice Springs baseball field to raise funds for the Siguenza family.
Two days prior, mother-of-four Nicole and the newest member of the Siguenza family, a two-month-old girl, were flown to Adelaide Women and Children’s hospital from Alice Springs.
The baby, named Antonia, had her skull fractured during an alleged home invasion, with police accusing two teens – aged 16 and 17 – as being behind the incident.
It is alleged one teenager assaulted the mother and Antonia was injured in the process, leaving her with a fractured skull.
Speaking to this masthead on Friday, Antonia’s father, Marlon Siguenza said his daughter was in a stable condition in hospital.
“There’s no quick fix … we’re just taking things slowly,” he said.
Bake sale co-organiser Katrina Sleigh was one of many who helped out.
She said within 25 minutes of the sale starting they “were just running out – which is amazing”.
“It brings you to tears to see so many people come and support the family,” she said.
“People are just being very generous,” she said.
Ms Sleigh was one of cohort of “baseball mums” – a community which Ms Siguenza is a part of – who set up a GoFundMe.
The GoFundMe has, as of Saturday morning, reached $38,749 in donations.
Ms Sleigh speaking on the amount said “it gives me chills”.
“They’re a single-income family and they’re lovely, and it just gives them so much relief to just focus on the baby, and it gives them some time to be a family together – focus on their baby getting better and not have to worry about this and that,” she said.
At the bake sale, primary school-aged Ruby proudly said she’d donated “all her silver coins” to help the Siguenzas.
The volunteers braved a hot afternoon in the sun to set up the sale, which drew a large crowd minutes before it was due open on Friday afternoon.
Up for grabs were cupcakes, donuts, ice cream, snickerdoodles, rumballs, finger buns, and more.
Some of the treats were made by kids in Alice Springs, while others, such as the ice cream, had been donated by local businesses.
Alice Springs Baseball Association president Nathan Mitchell said the Siguenzas were always helping out the Alice baseball community.
“So it’s only fair that we help them out in a time of need,” he said.
“It’s really good the Alice Springs community has gotten behind this. It’s affected everyone as much as our small baseball community.”
The teenage boys were arrested by cops on Wednesday afternoon.
Both faced court in Alice Springs on Thursday.
Neither entered pleas, and Judge David Woodroffe placed them on remand.
Both will be back in court February next year.
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