Texas Mother Locked 7-Year-Old in Closet, Causing Brain Damage; Another Daughter Missing Since 2017

Woman charged with felony injury after malnourished daughter found locked in closet, amid search for another daughter missing since 2017.

AUSTIN, TEXAS- A horrifying case of child abuse has surfaced in Austin, Texas, where authorities allege a 33-year-old mother imprisoned her 7-year-old daughter in a dark, barricaded closet for weeks with no access to food, water, or a bathroom. The child was discovered in April 2025 in an emaciated, soiled state, weighing only 29 pounds, and is now suffering from permanent brain damage due to starvation, according to court documents.

The suspect, Virginia Gonzales, has been charged with felony injury to a child causing serious bodily harm. The abuse came to light when the girl’s grandmother found her locked inside a cramped closet measuring just 3 feet by 1 foot, 10 inches at Gonzales’ Austin home.

According to a report from KVUE, Gonzales allegedly forced her six other children, ages 2 to 14, to keep the victim confined. The children told their grandmother—and later police—that the 7-year-old was punished for having bladder control issues and for “getting into things” or “eating what she wasn’t supposed to.” One sibling, a 10-year-old boy, said the victim was only given one corn dog a day and a half, and a cup of water to drink.

The child was forced to urinate and defecate inside the closet, and had no access to hygiene or care. Authorities say the small space where she was held had been barricaded, and the level of isolation and starvation caused devastating long-term damage.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has placed all seven children in protective custody.

As the investigation deepens, police have also reopened a cold case involving another of Gonzales' daughters—Ava Gonzales, who has been missing since 2017. Ava was only 9 years old at the time of her disappearance, and her current whereabouts are unknown. Authorities urgently request public tips or leads that may help locate her.

The case has ignited community outrage and concern over how such abuse went undetected for so long. Police have not released any additional information about the ongoing investigation into Ava's disappearance, but stress that this new case has revived focus on the missing child.

Anyone with information about Ava Gonzales or the abuse within the Gonzales household is urged to contact the Austin Police Department’s Child Abuse Unit.