A Texas mother was recently arrested for allegedly starving her daughter by locking her in a closet — which led police to another shocking discovery: the girl’s older sister hasn’t been seen for seven years.
Authorities in Austin are now looking for 9-year-old Ava Marie Gonzales, who was last seen in December 2017 when she was just 2 years old. The search began after her mother, 33-year-old Virginia Marie Gonzales, was arrested for serious injury to a child last month after Ava’s 7-year-old sister was found “locked in a closet and starving,” Austin Police have said.
The police department is “seriously concerned about Ava’s welfare given the circumstances in which Ava’s younger sibling was found” on April 3, authorities said on Tuesday.
Police responded to a 911 call after the 7-year-old girl was “found locked in a closet and starving, Austin Detective Russell Constable said. The child’s grandmother made the call after she found the 7-year-old “malnourished, soiled and barricaded in a bedroom closet,” according to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by ABC News. The mother allegedly held her child in the closet for a month, feeding her a hot dog or corn dog in the morning and evening and half a cup of water daily, the document states.
She weighed 29 pounds when she was found and exhibited signs of malnourishment, according to the affidavit. She was immediately taken to the hospital and is currently recovering, the detective said.
Virginia was arrested on April 24 in connection to the injuries suffered by her child. Six other children were found in the house and they were all “fine” and didn’t appear to be malnourished, police said at a Tuesday press conference. But an eighth child — Ava — was missing.
Ava is described as Hispanic with straight brown hair and brown eyes. Her height and weight are unknown, given the amount of time that has passed since anyone has seen her, police said. Authorities released photos of what they believe Ava would look like now, seven years later.
“She was not reported missing by Virginia or anybody,” Constable said.
Virginia is Ava’s last known guardian, police said.
Asked whether police have information as to whether Ava is still alive, Constable said: “We have information showing that she was born to Virginia. We just don’t know where she is right now.” Her father has not yet been identified, he added.
None of the children in the house were enrolled in school as far as police know, the detective added.
When pressed as to whether Ava’s family members were concerned that they haven’t seen her in years, Constable said Virginia has provided “conflicting information” to relatives concerning the child’s whereabouts.
“She could be anywhere at this point,” he said, noting this case has been “emotionally difficult.”
The 33-year-old is being held behind bars on $75,000 bond, court records show. She is next scheduled to appear in court on May 16.
