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2d ago

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

Virginia Gonzales, now in custody, faces charges of child abuse as investigators release age-progressed images of her missing daughter, Ava Marie Gonzales, and seek public assistance.

(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

  • Virginia Gonzales was arrested on April 24 after her 7-year-old daughter was found severely malnourished and locked in a closet for weeks with minimal food and water.
  • The discovery led police to uncover that another daughter, Ava Marie Gonzales, has been missing since December 2017 when she was 2 years old, and was never reported missing.
  • Austin Police have released age-progressed images of Ava, now 9, and are asking the public for tips on her whereabouts, expressing serious concern for her safety.
  • Six other children in the home, aged 2 to 14, appeared to be physically healthy; none of the children were enrolled in school, raising further questions about their welfare.
  • Authorities have noted inconsistencies in the mother's accounts of Ava's disappearance and are working to verify the limited information provided.