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3d ago

Texas Police Intensify Search for Girl Missing Since 2017 After Sister Found Starving

Authorities are seeking public help to locate 9-year-old Ava Marie Gonzales, last seen in her mother's custody, after her younger sibling was discovered malnourished and confined in a closet.

(Left) Ava Marie Gonzales in December 2017 at the age of two. (Right) A progressed photo showing how Gonzales would look today.
Cheryle “Lovey” Gollinger and her great-grandson Dusty Ray “Lil Buddy” Gollinger, 2, of San Antonio lay a wreath Friday outside the Bexar County Courthouse on April 1, 2022, to mark the beginning of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
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Overview

  • Austin Police are searching for Ava Marie Gonzales, missing since 2017, and have released an age-progressed photo to aid the investigation.
  • The case emerged after Ava's 7-year-old sister was found severely malnourished, weighing only 29 pounds, and locked in a closet on April 3, 2025.
  • Virginia Gonzales, the children's mother, was arrested on April 24 and charged with serious injury to a child related to the abuse of the 7-year-old.
  • Authorities revealed that Ava was never reported missing and that Virginia Gonzales has provided conflicting accounts of her daughter's whereabouts.
  • The 7-year-old sibling is recovering in a hospital, while six other children in the home, aged 2 to 14, appeared physically healthy and are now in protective custody.