Virginia Gonzales Starves Daughter, Reverses Plead Deal Refusal, Learns Fate
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Guaranteed human. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Now here's a woman nobody will forget. I don't know if you're gonna remember her name, Virginia Gonzalez, but you'll remember this. The mom of multiple children, including a seven-year-old little girl, found locked in a dark closet that was barricaded down to about 26 pounds, fed one corn dog a day, if that. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories.
I want to thank you for being with us. On April 3rd, 2025, Austin Police Department responded to a 911 call for a seven-year-old child that was found locked in a closet and starving. The seven-year-old was immediately taken to a local hospital for medical treatment and is currently recovering. There were six other children found in the home that appeared physically healthy.
Police officers at an Austin apartment find a severely malnourished 7-year-old girl who is barricaded in a bedroom closet. The child is found soiled, weighing just 29 pounds, and has been confined to a 3-foot by 2-foot closet space for approximately a month. Investigators find the child has been given one corndog and a half a cup of water a day. Doctors at Dell Children's Medical Center determine the little girl is suffering moderate to severe cerebral atrophy from prolonged malnutrition, damage from which she will never recover.
Virginia Gonzalez facing charges including injury to a child, inflicting serious injury, learns her fate in court.
The mother accused of locking her young daughter in a closet for weeks initially refused a plea deal. but now one has been reached. 33-year-old Virginia Gonzalez pleaded guilty to two charges of felony child injury. She receives a 25-year sentence on each count, which she will serve at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility in Huntsville. The counts will serve concurrently. Let me jog your memory about what happened.
This closet was less than five feet by two feet. five by two, five feet tall, two feet wide. There were other objects in there. What? Other objects in there, no light, no ventilation. And it was barricaded by 75 pounds of boxes in front of it. Can you imagine the life that child had? in a closet, her living space about three by one foot, 10 inches, three by two, let's be generous. No light, no ventilation, barricaded on the outside by 75 pound boxes in front of it. The little girl was soiled, of course. She had TT'd and defecated. I said 26, it's 29 pounds, 29 pounds when she was rescued. She's already suffered moderate to severe cerebral atrophy, that's permanent brain damage, due to prolonged nutrition.
Quote, she will never recover, according to the state's affidavit. Now, the other six children in the home from two to 14 told grandma they were ordered to lock her in there because she had, quote, bladder control issues and was, quote, always getting into stuff and, quote, eating things she was not supposed to. What like food? A 10-year-old brother told police he was told he had to clean the closet because the little sister would have to defecate and urinate in the closet. The little girl gets just a corn dog a day and a half a cup of water. How can a child survive day after day, week after week, month after month, locked in a dark closet, living off nothing? Straight out to Christina Awayo joining us, investigative reporter.
Christina, this child locked in a closet.
what happened well according to the affidavit when police got there when the caller called in for the welfare check and police got there they found a seven-year-old little girl locked in a closet it was barricaded by 75 pounds of boxes they opened that door they found that child in there she was soiled surrounded by feces she was severely malnourished she had dark spots all over her body which is a sign of severe malnourishment
What happened to the 7-year-old girl found locked in a closet?
They took her, of course, to the hospital where she weighed 29 pounds. And medical personnel say that because of the prolonged starvation of that little girl, that she will have permanent brain damage.
Permanent brain damage caused by starvation.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–4:47
2
What happened to the 7-year-old girl found locked in a closet?
4:47–7:17
3
How did the police discover the other children in the home?
7:17–9:02
4
What medical conditions did the 7-year-old girl suffer from due to starvation?
9:02–9:45
5
What charges is Virginia Gonzales facing and what was her plea deal?
9:45–10:39
6
Why did Virginia Gonzales reverse her initial rejection of the plea deal?
10:39–19:23
7
How did the other children in the household contribute to the situation?
19:23–21:39
8
What implications does this case have for child welfare and protection?
21:39–43:47
Speakers
8 identifiedMore from Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
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