A Texas mother has been sentenced to spend a quarter of a century in prison after a court heard she subjected her young daughter to relentless starvation, feeding the child just one corn dog each day.
Grandmother alerted after siblings reveal abuse
Virginia Gonzales, aged 33 and from Del Valle in Texas, was handed the 25-year sentence this week after pleading guilty to felony child injury. The shocking case came to light when the victim's siblings reportedly informed their grandmother about the cruel treatment.
The grandmother then discovered the severely malnourished girl at the mother's home. According to an arrest affidavit, a 10-year-old sibling stated the victim was permitted only "one corn dog a day" and "half a cup of water".
Victim found soiled and weighing just 29 pounds
The unnamed young girl was found in a profoundly distressing state. She weighed a mere 29 pounds (approximately 13 kilograms) and was discovered soiled, having been forced to defecate and urinate inside the small closet where she was confined.
Detective Ryan Constable of the Austin Police Department's Child Abuse Unit described the girl's condition as critical, noting that the fat in her cheeks was "nonexistent" and her body had consumed its own fat stores to survive.
Children ordered to enforce confinement
The court heard that Gonzales had instructed her six other children, aged between two and 14, to keep their sister locked in a tiny room measuring just three feet by one foot. Police reports indicated the girl was being punished for "getting into stuff" and for having bladder issues.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Gonzales claimed during a hearing in July 2025 that she had never harmed her children and was prepared to do anything to keep them.
Plea deal reduces potential 40-year sentence
Gonzales received her sentence as part of a plea agreement. Her defence lawyer, Gabe Hernandez, rejected an initial offer he labelled "utterly absurd," which would have resulted in a 40-year prison term. The final agreement secured a 25-year incarceration period.
In a statement following the sentencing, the Travis County District Attorney's Office expressed hope that Gonzales accepting guilt and waiving her right to appeal would mark "the first step to the victim's road to recovery."
Ongoing search for missing daughter
Adding another layer of tragedy to the case, the court was informed that one of Gonzales' children, Ava Marie Gonzales, disappeared in 2017 at the age of nine. Investigators continue to search for her.
The District Attorney's office confirmed it would persist in working with the Austin Police Department to seek justice for the missing child. All of Gonzales' children have now been placed into protective custody.
The official statement concluded with a powerful declaration: "No child should ever have to go through what the victim did."
