Overview

• Virginia Gonzales, 33, was arrested on April 24 after her 7-year-old daughter was found locked in a closet, severely malnourished, and weighing just 29 pounds.
• The child endured weeks of starvation, confined to a small closet with minimal food and water, according to police reports.
• Investigators discovered that another child, Ava Marie Gonzales, has been missing since December 2017 and was never reported missing by her mother.
• The Austin Police Department released age-progressed images of Ava, now 9, and is urging the public to provide any information on her whereabouts.
• Six other children in the home, aged 2 to 14, appeared physically healthy and are now in protective custody, while none of the children were enrolled in school, highlighting systemic oversight gaps.