Authorities in Austin are urgently searching for a 9-year-old girl who has been missing since 2017, after her younger sister was found locked in a closet, malnourished and in distress. The case has sparked alarm over the conditions inside the home and the whereabouts of the missing child, Ava Marie Gonzales.
The disturbing situation came to light on April 3 when police received a 911 call reporting a 7-year-old girl discovered locked inside a closet in a Del Valle residence. Upon arrival, officers found six other children in the home who “appeared physically healthy,” according to Austin Police Detective Russell Constable.
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The 7-year-old child was transported to a hospital and is now in recovery. As investigators looked deeper into the household, they uncovered that another child, Ava Marie Gonzales, had not been seen since December 2017, when she was just 2 years old. She had been in the custody of her mother, Virginia Gonzales, at the time.
Detective Constable shared that Gonzales has provided “conflicting information” about Ava’s whereabouts over the years. “We don’t know where she is right now, and that’s what we’re trying to figure out, her current status, where she is, who she’s with, and if she’s safe and healthy,” Constable said during a press conference.
Constable also emphasized that Ava was never officially reported missing. Given the alarming condition in which Ava’s 7-year-old sibling was discovered, authorities expressed grave concern about Ava’s well-being. Police have released both photos of Ava at age 2 and an age-progressed image to aid in the search.
Virginia Gonzales was arrested on April 24 and charged with serious injury to a child in connection with the abuse of the 7-year-old, according to a police statement. An arrest affidavit, cited by NBC affiliate KXAN, described the girl as “malnourished, soiled and barricaded in a bedroom closet.” The girl was reportedly found by her grandmother.
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The affidavit revealed harrowing details: the child was fed only a hot dog or corn dog in the morning, with half a cup of water. The closet measured roughly 4 feet, 9 inches by 1 foot, 10 inches, and was barricaded with over 75 pounds of boxes.
KXAN also reported that none of the children appeared to be enrolled in school. Gonzales remains in custody at the Travis County Correctional Complex with a bond set at $75,000. Authorities continue to seek information from the public about Ava’s whereabouts.
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