Texas – A Texas woman told authorities she had enough food and water for everyone in the home and was never vioIent with her several children, according to new court records and her recent testimony. The 33-year-old defendant, V. GonzaIes, appeared in the court after prosecutors requested her bond be raised from $75,000 to $250,000. The parent also admitted that she was in the wrong, court records say.
Texas authorities began investigating after the grandmother of the woman’s child discovered the 7-year-old locked in a dark, cramped closet measuring roughly three by two feet, barring light or ventilation and barricaded with heavy boxes. The child, found malnourished and soiIed, weighed approximately twenty eight pounds. Medical assessments indicated she suffered moderate to severe cerebral atrophy and brain damage likely permanent due to prolonged starvation.
Court filings reveal the mother allegedly confined the child for weeks, allowing just a single piece of food and a half cup of water per day. Six other children in the home, ranging from two to fourteen years old, were found physically healthy, and investigators reported that the house’s refrigerator, freezer, and pantry were well stocked.
During the bond hearing, the defendant acknowledged that she instructed her older children to keep the victim in a bedroom, not necessarily a closet, but disputed the suggestion that it lasted for weeks, saying it was easier for her other children to supervise their sibling that way. She stated she told them, “We’d catch her in the restroom doing something bad. It was easier for them to watch her that way.”
Texas authorities presented text messages reportedly sent from the mother to her children, including one stating, “Clean the closet and then throw her back in.” They also described the child’s cheeks as having nonexistent fat. The parent insisted during testimony that everyone in the home had adequate food and that she was ready to fight for her children and keep her family together.
The investigation also revealed that a ninth child, a daughter named Eva, has been missing since December 2017. Her disappearance was uncovered only after the April arrest. The woman told Texas authorities that the child had been taken by a man identified as SauI and later by his sister, and that the girl now likely resides in Mexico. Police classified the child’s case as a homicide investigation, citing conflicting accounts from the woman and the circumstances of the younger child’s confinement.
The parent is now charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, and prosecutors have also requested an increased bond, citing the severity of the abuse and concerns for other children’s safety. Her bond was raised to $250,000, and she pleaded not guilty. A trial is scheduled for January 2026.
Police continue searching for the other child, seeking information about her whereabouts and appealing to the public for tips. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the local police department or Crime Stoppers.