Texas police are searching for a 2-year-old girl who has been missing since 2017.
Austin police revealed that 33-year-old Virginia Gonzales gave her family conflicting accounts regarding the whereabouts of her daughter, Ava. According to WVUE, Virginia never officially reported Ava as missing, and authorities have been unable to confirm the identity of the girl’s father.
Officials only became aware of Ava’s disappearance following Virginia’s arrest on April 24. Prior to this, reports indicated that the woman’s 7-year-old daughter was discovered in a state of severe neglect and malnourishment inside a closet at their home. The girl’s grandmother reportedly found her in this confined space, which measured 5 feet by 2 feet, where she had been left for an entire month.
READ: Mom of Girl Missing Since 2017 Arrested After Other Daughter Is Found Starved in Cramped Closet
The Austin police stated that the closet lacked both light and ventilation. Due to items stored inside, Virginia’s daughter was restricted to an area measuring only 3 feet by 1 foot and 10 inches to move around.
The 7-year-old girl reportedly weighed 29 pounds — and medical staff determined she suffered permanent brain damage due to ongoing malnutrition and starvation. Police said Virginia Gonzales only fed her a corndog and half a cup of water a day.
Virginia Gonzales allegedly ordered her other children 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, according to police.
Virginia Gonzales’ daughter who vanished in 2017 would be nine today. KVUE reported that there is no record of her seven children attending any school in Central Texas.
Virginia Gonzales is charged with serious bodily injury to a child. Her six children are in foster care while authorities continue to search for her daughter.
[Feature Photo: Austin police]
