The mother of a missing Texas girl was arrested last month after her other daughter was found severely malnourished in a closet.
Virginia Gonzales’ 7-year-old daughter was reportedly found barricaded inside a bedroom closet on April 3. KVUE reported that the girl’s grandmother discovered her in the closet, which measured 5 feet by 2 feet, where she had been kept for several weeks.
Austin police stated that the closet lacked both light and ventilation. Due to items stored within, Gonzales’ daughter was left with only 3 feet by 1 foot, 10 inches of space to move around. KTBC reported that Gonzales, 33, confined her daughter in the closet for a month, feeding her just a corndog and half a cup of water daily.
The child reportedly weighed 29 pounds upon discovery. Medical professionals determined she endured permanent brain damage as a result of prolonged malnutrition and starvation, as per WVUE.
Gonzales children allegedly told their grandmother that she ordered them to lock the 7-year-old in the closet because she had bladder issues and was getting into stuff. The victim’s 10-year-old brother said he was instructed to clean the closet because the girl was defecating and urinating in there.
Investigators pointed out that a pantry, refrigerator, and freezer in Gonzales’ home was stocked with food, KEYE reported.
Gonzales is also the mother of Ava Marie Gonzales, who was two when she vanished in 2017. Ava Marie Gonzales, who is now nine, remains unaccounted for.
Virginia Gonzales, who was arrested on April 24, is charged with severe injury to a child. Her seven children — including her malnourished daughter — are in protective custody while she remains incarcerated.
[Feature Photo: Austin police]
