A mother in Texas, Virginia Gonzales, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for severely neglecting her young daughter by only providing her with one corn dog a day. Gonzales, 33, was found guilty of starving her daughter due to behavioral issues and bladder problems. She instructed the girl’s six siblings, aged between two and 14, to confine her to a small room.
Having pleaded guilty to felony child injury, Gonzales will spend nearly three decades behind bars as a judge emphasized that this punishment aims to kickstart the victim’s recovery journey. The child, unnamed for privacy reasons, was discovered malnourished and neglected, confined in a filthy closet where she defecated and urinated.
Authorities reported that the girl weighed a mere 29 pounds (13 kilograms) when found, with visible signs of severe malnutrition. Ryan Constable, a detective from the Austin Police Department’s Child Abuse Unit, noted the lack of fat in her cheeks, indicating her body had depleted its reserves to survive.
The investigation revealed that Gonzales claimed she restricted her daughter’s food intake as a form of punishment for misbehavior. Additionally, one of Gonzales’ children, Ava Marie Gonzales, has been missing since 2017 at the age of nine, prompting ongoing efforts to locate her.
Following the sentencing, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office expressed hope that the jail term would contribute to the victim’s recovery process. The statement emphasized the importance of justice for the victim and the ongoing search for Ava, as Gonzales’ remaining children are under protective custody.