“I know my daughter, she’ll run from this;” Mother kept her 7-year-old daughter she caught “doing something bad” locked in closet for weeks with only half a cup of water daily; charged
Texas – In a deeply disturbing case that has shocked Texas residents, a 33-year-old mother of 8 children, identified as V. Gonzales, now faces multiple felony charges after authorities say she kept her 7-year-old daughter locked inside a closet for weeks, leaving the child severely malnourished and permanently injured. Gonzales has been charged with three counts of injury to a child and one count of unlawful restraint after police discovered her daughter barricaded in a tiny closet measuring only 3 feet by 1 foot, 10 inches.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the child was subjected to prolonged starvation and severe neglect and was only given half a cup of water and little food per day. During a hearing in the court, prosecutors detailed how Gonzales instructed her other children—ranging in age from 2 to 14—to help keep their sister confined, allegedly as punishment for catching her “doing something bad,” “getting into stuff,” and eating food she wasn’t supposed to. Police say Gonzales’ 10-year-old son told them his sister had to relieve herself inside the closet, and when found, the 7-year-old weighed just 29 pounds.
Detective R. Constable from the police department’s child abuse unit testified in court, describing the girl’s frail condition. The situation became even more alarming when it was revealed Gonzales has another child who has been missing since 2017, when she was just 9 years old. The horrific living conditions came to light when the children’s grandmother visited the family’s home in April and found the 7-year-old girl locked in the closet. The authorities were called, and all children were immediately placed in protective custody.
In court, Gonzales admitted, “I don’t dispute that I was in the wrong. I know what I’ve done was wrong,” but she tried to shift some of the blame to her other children, saying, “I instructed them not to let her out of the room but not the closet.” She claimed she had “adequate food for everyone in the home” and was “never violent,” asserting, “I never spanked them. I’m ready to do whatever I need to keep my children.”
However, Judge C. Eldridge called the details of the case “absolutely horrifying” and sided with prosecutors who argued Gonzales posed a flight risk. Prosecutors requested Gonzales’ bond be raised from $75,000 to $250,000, citing concerns she would flee before her trial. Supporting their claim was Gonzales’ own mother who testified in court. “She didn’t show up for a weed charge, you think she’s going to show up for this?” the defendant’s mother said, adding ominously, “I know my daughter, she’ll run from this.” Judge Eldridge agreed, raising the bond to $250,000. Gonzales, who pleaded not guilty, was immediately arraigned and remains in custody. Her trial is scheduled for January 2026.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the disappearance of the defendant’s missing child and have urged anyone with information to contact the police department. Meanwhile, the surviving children remain under the care of protective services as they recover from what officials have described as unimaginable trauma.For now, the case stands as a harrowing reminder of the unseen child abuse that can happen even in seemingly ordinary neighborhoods—and the urgent need for vigilance and intervention when children’s lives are at risk.
