Mom of Girl, 7, Found 'Locked in Closet and Starving' Never Reported Missing 2-Year-Old in 2017: Police

The Austin Police Department is asking for assistance from the public, or any information about the whereabouts of a nine-year-old girl who's been missing since December 2017, the last time friends and family recalled seeing her.

They didn't even know about the child's existence until after they'd arrested her mother, Virginia Gonzales, 33, for disturbing allegations of abuse toward what would be the missing girls' younger sister by two years.

Gonzales was arrested on charges of injury to a child with serious bodily injury in connection to her 7-year-old daughter, found "locked in a closet and starving," per police.

It was only after her arrest in Del Valle that police learned that Gonzales had never reported this older daughter as missing seven-and-a-half years ago -- or at any point between then and now.

As it's been so long since Ava has been seen, police cannot estimate her height and weight, but she is described as a Hispanic female with straight brown hair and brown eyes. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children did release an age progressed photo that could show what she might look like today.

According to ABC affiliate KVUE, police state that Virginia has given "conflicting information to many different family members" regarding Ava's whereabouts, nor have authorities been able to positively identify the missing girl's father.

"We don't know where she is right now, and that's what we're trying to figure out, her current status, where she is, who she's with, and if she's safe and healthy," said Austin Police Detective Russell Constable at a news conference on Tuesday.

In their plea for public aid, authorities stated they are "seriously concerned about Ava's welfare given the circumstances in which Ava's younger sibling was found."

In their investigation into Ava's disappearance, police discovered that there is no record of any of Virginia's eight total children attending school in Central Texas.

All of this led Michelle Locke, a former family court and CPS (Child Protective Services) judge, who now works as a family lawyer, to ask KVUE, "How many mandatory reporters came into this child's life and dropped the ball?"

She said that Texas has mandatory kindergarten enrollment established in part to help keep track of the welfare of children in the state. So how did Virginia manage to circumvent this requirement with all eight of her children?

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which includes CPS, told the news station that while cases are confidential and they could not comment about Virginia's history with the department, they would confirm that the seven children found in her home have been removed and are in foster care.

It was Ava Gonzales' grandmother who discovered her locked in a closet on April 3, where she'd allegedly been barricaded for multiple weeks, according to KVUE. The grandmother, who immediately called 911, had gone to the apartment after Virginia's arrest for marijuana possession.

The closet measured less than 5-feet by 2-feet, per court filings, though with other objects also in there, they believe her living space was approximately 3 feet by 1 foot, 10 inches. There was no light or ventilation. NBC News reports it was barricaded by 75-pound boxes in front of it.

According to court documents, the girl was soiled and weighed just 29 pounds when she was rescued. Medical staff determined that she suffered "moderate to severe cerebral atrophy" leading to permanent brain damage due to prolonged malnutrition and starvation. "She will never recover," the affidavit states.

The six other children in the house, ranging in age from 2 to 14, told their grandmother, per court documents, that they were ordered to lock their sister in the closet because she had bladder control issues, was "always getting into stuff," and eating things she was "not supposed to."

A 10-year-old brother said he was told to clean the closet because she would defecate and urinate in there, per KVUE. He said the girl was only allowed to eat a single hot dog or corndog a day and half a cup of water.

The other six children "appeared physically healthy," according to Austin Police Detective Russell Constable at a news conference on Tuesday. Investigators reported that the home's refrigerator, freezer, and pantry were all well stocked with food.

Virginia Gonzales is booked into the Travis County Correctional Complex on a charge of serous bodily injury to a child. Her bond is set at $75,000.

Anyone with any information about Ava Gonzales is asked to contact the Austin Police Department via email at ava@austintexas.gov or through Crime Stoppers at 512-572-8477.