logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
39m 15s

LITTLE GIRL, 7, FOUND LOCKED IN CLOSET S...

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
About this episode

Police search for 9-year-old girl missing after her little sister is found locked in a closet. After police rescue a malnourished child from a closet, Austin police work to track down her missing 9-year-old sister, Ava Marie Gonzales, who is now nine, remains unaccounted for. Austin police respond to a home in Del Valle after receiving a 911 call about a 7-year-old girl is discovered starved and locked inside a bedroom closet. Six other children are also found in the home, but police say it appears they are physically healthy. According to reports, the child was soiled and barricaded in a closet with heavy boxes blocking the door.

An arrest affidavit reveals Virginia Marie Gonzales is accused of locking the 7-year-old girl in a closet for “weeks at a time.” The affidavit further states the girl’s grandmother told police that the child had trouble controlling her bladder and often ate things she shouldn’t. This allegedly led to her siblings being instructed to keep her locked in the closet.

The 7-year-old was hospitalized and is now recovering. During the investigation, detectives learn about another child, Ava, who has been missing for years. Virginia Marie Gonzales, Ava ‘s mother, was arrested on a charge of serious injury to a child in connection with the 7-year-old’s case. According to police, the missing now 9-year-old child was last seen when she was just 2 years old and in the custody of her mother, Virginia Marie Gonzales.

Joining Nancy Grace today,

  • LeAnne Marie, friend of mom, Virginia Gonzales
  • Bronwyn Blake- Adjunct Professor, University of Texas School of Law; Chief Legal Officer, Texas Advocacy Project; Founder: Teen Justice Initiative, advocating for teen victims of dating violence. Website: texasadvocacyproject.org; Facebook and Instagram: @TexasAdvocacyProject
  • Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist, AngelaArnoldMD.com, Expert in the Treatment of Pregnant/Postpartum Women, Former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology: Emory University, Former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Ob-Gyn Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital
  • Daryl Parker - Fmr. Lieutenant in the Fannin County Sheriff's Office / Private Investigator at Blackfish Intelligence; Former Marine, Former Texas police officer; has worked with the Innocence Project of Texas for the last ten years; website: wwww.blackfishintel.com; instagram: @blackfishintel, FB – blackfishintelligence
  • Virginia Bagby - Director of the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline, website: ChildHelp.org; Facebook and Instagram: @ChildHelp
  • Dr Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), NEW Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue" launching soon, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)
  • Christina Aguayo- Investigative Reporter, website: www.ChristinaAguayoNews.Com, Facebook: @ChristinaAguayoNews, Instagram: @Christina.AguayoNews

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Bryan Kohberger Sentencing Looms | Crime Alert Recap Saturday 07.19.25
Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's some of our top stories this week: While Bryan Kohberger cut a plea deal with the state, taking the death penalty o ... Show More
9m 55s
Today
“FRIENDS” MATTHEW PERRY OD DEATH IN HOT TUB: Doctor to Plead Guilty?
Matthew Perry wrote about his issues with addiction to alcohol and drugs. In his memoir, he said he began drinking at 14 and was an alcoholic by 18. Perry first went to rehab and completed a 28-day program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation after a jet-ski accident led to an a ... Show More
49m 1s
Today
Friday Night Special: Jeffrey Epstein Explosive Documents, Do They Exist?
Six years after his death, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is back in the news, and despite the FBI maintaining that the millionaire financer committed suicide in prison, doubts linger. The existence of Epstein documents and whether they will be released on many minds. Des ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
2.14.25 CRU with Nancy Grace: Mystery DNA in the Kohberger Case - What That Could Mean For The Defense
Today Nancy Grace and Sheryl McCollum open CRU with a heartfelt tribute to their friend and colleague, Dave Mack, following the loss of his wife, LaDonna. Despite his grief, Mack’s dedication to his work shines through. Nancy and Sheryl then dive into the latest developments in t ... Show More
29m 26s
Jan 2025
Episode 639: The Unsolved Murder of Melissa Witt
On December 1, 1994, nineteen-year-old Melissa Witt planned to meet her mother at a Fort Smith, Arkansas bowling alley, but by all appearances, she only made it as far as the parking lot. Two days later, investigators discovered Melissa’s car abandoned in the Bowling World parkin ... Show More
52m 11s
Jul 2024
Hunting the Hunter | Inside The Deviant Mind of Israel Keyes
Israel Keyes was an American serial killer, bank robber, burglar, arsonist, kidnapper, and sex offender. Guest Bio and Links: Andrew Iden is a veteran journalist and award-winning podcaster with over 20 years of experience at CNN and HLN.  Dan Szematowicz is a seasoned audio prod ... Show More
42m 37s
Mar 2024
Episode 5: “Grace Doe: Shauna Garber”
With the discovery of a second young female murder victim just over the Missouri border, 20 minutes away from where Dana Stidham’s body was found, a new suspect seems to be playing cat-and-mouse with law enforcement. Phelps drills down and compares the similarities in the cases—a ... Show More
48m 1s
Apr 17
MURDEROUS MINDS: The Model Student Murderer Pt. 2
Jennifer Pan’s lies were finally unraveling—and she was desperate to regain control. When her parents discovered the truth, she didn’t beg for forgiveness. She planned their murder. In this episode, we follow the investigation, the shocking confession, and the trial that stunned ... Show More
53m 49s
Mar 2025
Case 312: Dustin Wehde
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault ***When first responders arrived at the Roberts family home in the small town of Early, Iowa, on December 13 2001, they found 20-year-old Dustin Wehde lying in a pool of his own blood. The homeowner, Tracey Roberts, claimed she’d shot Dustin i ... Show More
1h 31m
Nov 2024
Judge Say's Diddy's Jane & John Doe Accusers Need To Be Named
Did Diddy’s alleged past just get even darker? In this episode, the layers of allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs go deeper, with chilling claims stretching back nearly two decades, including accusations involving minors. Former prosecutor and attorney Eric Faddis breaks down ... Show More
23m 5s