AUSTIN, Texas – A mother already jailed on horrific child 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 charges is now the focus of a potential capital murder investigation into the disappearance of her toddler daughter, who vanished without a trace nearly a decade ago. Virginia Gonzalez, described by an acquaintance as a manipulative “mastermind” who lived a fast party lifestyle, could face new charges in the death of her daughter, Ava Marie Gonzalez.
The investigation into Ava’s fate was triggered by the gruesome discovery last spring that led to Gonzalez’s initial arrest. Police responding to a report at an Austin apartment found a seven-year-old girl, severely malnourished and weighing only 29 pounds, locked in a bedroom closet. The child reportedly suffered permanent brain damage from starvation.
Authorities found six other children, ages 2 to 14, in the home, all believed to be Gonzalez’s. According to police, the emaciated girl was allegedly given only a corn dog and half a cup of water per day by her mother. The other children told investigators the girl was targeted because she had accidents and “was always getting into stuff.”
During the ensuing investigation, detectives made a chilling discovery: Gonzalez had an eighth child, a daughter named Ava, who was not in the home and had not been seen since December 2017, when she was two years old. She was never reported missing, and there are no records of any of the Gonzalez children ever attending school.
Court documents reveal a web of conflicting stories Gonzalez allegedly gave about Ava’s whereabouts. She reportedly told Child Protective Services in 2023 that the girl was living with her father. That claim was supported by a document with a forged grandmother’s signature, according to police.
A former boyfriend stated Gonzalez told him Ava was actually her sister’s child and was living with an aunt and uncle. He also claimed Gonzalez referred to Ava as a “crack baby” who was born premature and sickly. Hospital records contradict this, showing Ava was born full-term at a healthy six pounds with no complications.
The alleged father, who lives in Mexico, told investigators Gonzalez said Ava was with a family in San Antonio and that he never had custody.
The most disturbing account comes from Gonzalez’s now-14-year-old son, who was approximately six at the time of Ava’s disappearance. In a forensic interview, he described a traumatic incident at a motel. He reported hearing “really bad” screaming from a bathroom and claimed he saw his mother violently assaulting Ava in a bathtub with the water running.
He stated that when the water stopped, the screaming stopped. He then said his mother dressed Ava, placed her in a car seat, and told him his sister was going to live with a new mom and dad. He never saw Ava again and noted his mother seemed “happy like a totally new person” afterward.
Based on this testimony and their investigation, police have filed a search warrant alleging Ava died on or around January 2, 2018, and that she was killed by Virginia Gonzalez. Intentionally causing the death of a child under ten is a capital crime in Texas.
Gonzalez remains in custody on three charges of injury to a child related to the seven-year-old found in the closet. Her trial in that case is currently scheduled for January 26th. She previously rejected a plea deal of 40 years in prison, with her attorney calling the offer “utterly absurd.”
Her defense counsel, J. Gabriel Hernandez, has sharply criticized the timing of the murder investigation details becoming public. In a statement to local media, he called it “suspicious,” coming just weeks before the scheduled 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 trial, and accused the state of trying to “poison the jury pool.”
“The state’s case, as indicted, is weak. It appears the facts are being stretched to fit a narrative intended to convict my client of a higher charge,” Hernandez said. He has indicated he will seek a continuance and a change of venue to ensure a fair trial.
Legal analysts note that while the publicity presents a challenge, the bar for a change of venue is high, requiring proof that an unbiased jury cannot be seated. Jury selection will be critical, with attorneys questioning potential jurors extensively about their exposure to the widespread media coverage.
The case has raised severe questions about how a child could disappear from all official oversight for so many years. An acquaintance of Gonzalez described her as highly manipulative. “I think she had a real good way of hiding things, being very discreet,” the woman said. “She was a mastermind. She had control of… everybody is what I’m seeing now.”
Videos from 2024 show Gonzalez partying, drinking, and smoking, a lifestyle starkly contrasted with the 𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓸𝓃𝓈 of 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 and neglect. A distinctive heart tattoo on her neck in these videos matches her booking photo, confirming her identity.
As the January 26th court date approaches, the community awaits to see if the 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 trial will proceed or be delayed, and whether formal murder charges will be filed in the death of Ava Marie Gonzalez. The Austin Police Department’s missing persons unit has expressed “serious concern” for Ava’s welfare, given the circumstances in which her sibling was found.
The case continues to unfold, a tragic tapestry of alleged 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮, deception, and a little girl who vanished, her absence unnoticed until another child was found clinging to life in a dark closet.