Authorities search for girl missing since 2017 after mother arrested for allegedly locking her 7-year-old daughter in a closet.

Authorities in Texas are currently conducting an extensive search for Ava Marie Gonzalez, a girl who has not been seen for nearly seven years. This renewed effort to locate the missing child comes in light of recent developments involving her mother, Virginia Gonzales, who is facing serious child abuse allegations. Gonzales was arrested last month after her 7-year-old daughter was discovered locked in a closet, allegedly for weeks, in a malnourished state. The case has raised significant concerns, prompting law enforcement to reevaluate the circumstances surrounding Ava’s disappearance.

Ava Marie Gonzalez was just two years old when she was last seen in December 2017. Until this recent incident, her absence had not been officially reported to authorities. Police believe that her last known whereabouts were with her mother, now implicated in child abuse offenses. Investigators have disclosed that Gonzales faces charges related to injury to a child after her 7-year-old daughter was found “locked in a closet and starving,” as reported by Austin Detective Russell Constable.

The alarming discovery was made by the girl’s grandmother, who found her granddaughter in a distressing condition, described as “malnourished, soiled and barricaded in a bedroom closet.” This shocking revelation came to light following Gonzales’s own arrest for marijuana possession, which led to the police visiting her residence.

When law enforcement arrived, they found another six children in the home, all of whom appeared to be in good physical health. Their ages range from 2 to 14 years old. Authorities later uncovered that there had been eight children living in the home, but Ava had been unaccounted for since her initial disappearance. Reports indicate that the 7-year-old girl who was rescued weighed only 29 pounds and had been deprived of adequate nutrition, receiving only a hot dog or corn dog twice daily and half a cup of water.

The significance of these developments has prompted local law enforcement to issue a public plea for information regarding Ava’s whereabouts. The police have expressed their “deep concern” for Ava’s well-being and have urged anyone with relevant details to contact them. As the investigation unfolds, the community remains hopeful for information that may lead to the safe return of the long-missing child.