A shocking incident was reported in Texas where an Austin mother kept her seven-year-old daughter locked up in a closet for a month. Virginia Gonzales, 33, was arrested in April 2025 when her daughter was found malnourished after spending a month in a 3-foot by 2-foot cupboard.
The incident came to light when Gonzales was detained for marijuana possession. The victim’s grandmother then visited her apartment on Ross Road and found the poor girl locked in a closet. She called the police, who conducted a welfare check and eventually arrested Gonzales.
Apart from the victim, there were six other children in the house, aged between 2 and 12. However, they were all found in normal condition.
**TRAGIC ABUSE CASE IN AUSTIN**
7-Year-Old Girl Locked in Closet by Mother; Another Daughter Missing Since 2017
Virginia Gonzales, a 33-year-old Austin mother, faces felony charges for allegedly confining her 7-year-old daughter in a small, dark closet, feeding her only one… pic.twitter.com/HtUvNa8EW5
— Nino America (@Nino_Merica) May 9, 2025
One of the children told the authorities that their mother only provided their locked-up sister with one corn dog and half a cup of water every day.
When the police checked the house, they found that there was enough food in the refrigerator and freezer, which left everyone wondering why Gonzales was starving her daughter.
The children later stated that their mother was punishing their sister for ‘getting into stuff’ and for ‘eating forbidden things.’ However, the complexity did not end there.
The Austin Police Department learned that the children had another sibling who had not been seen for eight years. They used to have a sister named Ava Marie Gonzales, who was 2 years old when she last appeared before family and friends in December 2017.
Ever since, neither Gonzales nor any family member filed a missing person complaint for her. Following the discovery, the APD has started a search for Ava, and authorities are concerned about her well-being.
The department has also requested the public to come forward with any information they have about the missing girl. Meanwhile, Gonzales told the court during a hearing that she had asked her children to lock her seven-year-old daughter only in the bedroom, and not in the closet.
She claimed, “I instructed them not to let her out of the [bed]room, but not the closet. We’d catch her in the restroom doing something bad. It was easier for [my sons] to watch her that way.”
The courts have agreed on a plea deal for Virginia Gonzales, the mother who faced two felony child injury charges, according to a spokesperson from the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. The agreement includes a 25-year prison sentence. pic.twitter.com/hLthlITojp
— Nabil Brent Remadna KXAN (@RemadnaKXAN) January 23, 2026
Gonzales has now pleaded guilty to two counts of injury to a child with intent to cause serious bodily injury. Travis County’s 331st District Court sentenced her to 25 years in prison in January 2025. Meanwhile, her children are in protective custody.
After the sentencing, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office released a statement to local news outlet KXAN, which read, “We hope that by Ms. Gonzales agreeing she is guilty, accepting 25 years of incarceration, and waiving her right to appeal, it is the first step to the victim’s road to recovery.”
The statement further read, “No child should ever have to go through what the victim did. We will continue to work with APD to seek justice for the missing baby.”
The APD has asked people to call 512-572-8477 or email [email protected] if they happen to have any information on Ava’s whereabouts.
