A frantic search is now underway for nine-year-old Ava Marie Gonzales, who hasn’t been seen since she was just two years old, yet was never even reported missing. Her name only resurfaced after Texas police uncovered a deeply disturbing case involving her younger sister.
Everything came to light in early April, when officers responded to a 911 call about a child locked in a bedroom closet. The seven-year-old girl was found in a horrific state—malnourished, soiled, and barricaded in, according to the arrest affidavit. It was then that police arrested her mother, Virginia Gonzales, charging her with injury to a child and serious bodily harm, reported Metro.co.uk.
As awful as that was, things only got more chilling from there. While officers were combing through the home in Del Valle, just outside Austin, they found six other children who, surprisingly, appeared physically okay. But it soon became clear there was an eighth child who wasn’t there—Ava.
Detectives confirmed Ava had once been in her mother’s care, but no one has seen her since December 2017. At the time, she was only two. Somehow, during all these years, no missing person report had ever been filed. No school records. Nothing. It’s like she vanished without a trace.
“We’re seriously concerned about Ava’s welfare given the circumstances in which her sister was found,” said Detective Russell Constable during a press conference. And honestly, who wouldn’t be?
Police and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children have now released an age-progressed image to help in the search. Ava is described as Hispanic, with brown eyes and straight brown hair. Her current height and weight are unknown.
It’s not clear why no one noticed her disappearance earlier. Authorities haven’t said much about Virginia Gonzales’ background, and there’s no mention of Ava’s father. What’s more disturbing is that none of the children were found to be enrolled in school, raising serious questions about how this went unnoticed for so long.
Gonzales is now sitting in the Travis County Correctional Complex, held on a $75,000 bond. In her mugshot, a heart-shaped tattoo on her neck stands out—but her silence on Ava’s whereabouts is even louder.
“She could be anywhere at this point,” Constable admitted grimly.
It’s a case that’s shaken even seasoned investigators. And now, the desperate hope is that someone, somewhere, might recognise Ava and come forward. Because after all this time, her life could still hang in the balance.
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