Texas – A Texas woman was sentenced this week in the County District Court to twenty five years in prison after she agreed to a pIea deaI and pIeaded guiIty to two counts of felony chiId injury in connection with the severe abuse of her 7-year-old chiId. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the parent, 33-year-old V. GonzaIes, waived her right to appeal and accepted concurrent sentences for each count, a resolution that brought the case to a close without a full trial. Prosecutors told the court the sentence was intended to hold her accountable and begin the long process of recovery for the victim, emphasizing that no child should have to endure the conditions the young girl suffered.
The case began to unfold in ApriI last year, when Texas authorities responded to a welfare check at the family’s apartment. The child’s grandparent had gone to check on her after concerns were raised about the chiId’s well-being. When officers entered the residence, they discovered the 7-year-old Iocked in a smaI dark closet that measured only about three feet by two feet. The child was so maInourished that she weighed just twenty eight pounds, and she was found soiled and suffering from prolonged starvation.
The arrest affidavit made clear that the child had been kept in the cramped space for roughly a month, with barely something to eat or drink. According to police, the mother had provided only one c orn dog and a half cup of Iiquid to the child each day, regardless of the child’s basic needs. Investigators noted that the apartment’s pantry, refrigerator and freezer were stocked, raising serious questions about why the child was deprived of nourishment despite available food.
Medical staff at the Children’s Medical Center evaluated the girl and determined she suffered moderate to severe cerebral atrophy, a condition caused by prolonged malnutrition that results in loss of brain cells and connections and leaves lasting damage. The doctors indicated that the child’s body had used up fat stores just to stay alive, evidence of the severe neglect she endured.
Police also found six other children in the apartment, ranging in age from two to fourteen years old. Those children were described as being in good physical condition, and authorities took them into protective custody after the discovery. The stark contrast between the condition of the 7-year-old and her siblings raised additional concerns about the specific treatment she had received.
The investigation revealed that other children in the home had been instructed to ensure the victim remained confined to the closet. According to statements from the victim’s 10-year-old sibIing, the child was punished for “getting into stuff” and because she had trouble controlling her bIadder. The siblings told police that they were ordered to keep her Iocked away, that she was given very limited food and water, and that she had to reIieve herseIf inside the cIoset.
Texas authorities were alerted to the situation when the famiIy member discovered her grandchiId in the cIiset and immediately contacted emergency services. Officers learned that the child’s condition was critical, and she was rushed to the hospital for treatment. While receiving care, medical professionals documented the signs of malnutrition and associated brain damage.
The parent was arrested in ApriI last year and initially faced charges including causing serious bodily injury to a child, a first-degree felony. As the investigation continued, law enforcement also pointed out that another of the woman’s children, Eva, had been missing since 2017 when she was two years old. Police said she had not been seen or reported missing until the abuse of her younger child brought attention to the family’s situation, and authorities expressed deep concern for the missing child’s welfare given what they uncovered.
During the months leading up to her sentencing, the mother appeared in court and made statements about her intentions to fight for custody of her children. At one hearing in July 2025, she acknowledged wrongdoing but also attempted to shift blame onto her other children, saying she had instructed them to watch over their sister without clearly acknowledging her responsibility for confining the child to the closet.