A huge search is underway for a young girl now feared to have vanished in 2017 — with cops only realizing when her mom was recently busted in Texas for allegedly locking the child’s starving sister in a closet.
Ava Marie Gonzales, who would now be 9, was never reported missing — but was last seen in the custody of her mom, Virginia Marie Gonzales, when she was just 2, Austin Police revealed Tuesday.
Authorities blasted out the alert after the girl’s mother was nabbed on April 24 on sick child abuse charges for allegedly forcing Ava’s 7-year-old sister into a closet for a month with minimal food.
The severely malnourished girl — who weighed a mere 29 pounds — was found barricaded in the 3-foot-by-2-foot enclosure when cops responded to a 911 welfare check back on April 3, KEYE reported, citing an arrest report.
The girl had allegedly been confined to the closet for several weeks and was only given “one corn dog and a 1/2 cup of water a day” to survive on.
Medical checks later determined the child had suffered “moderate to severe cerebral atrophy” brain damage from the prolonged starvation.
Six other kids, ages 2 to 14 years, were also found inside the home but showed no signs of abuse, cops said.
There was also adequate amounts of food found inside the home, according to police.
The disturbing scene led investigators to discover Ava’s mysterious disappearance.
Police said they were “seriously concerned” about Ava’s welfare given the circumstances in which her sister was found.
“We have information showing that she was born to Virginia. We just don’t know where she is right now,” Detective Russell Constable said.
“[The mom] has provided conflicting information to many different family members. So, we’re hoping to get more information and try to figure out where she is.”
Ava is described as a Hispanic female with straight brown hair and brown eyes.
Cops shared a photo of Ava from when she was last seen as a toddler, as well as an age-progression photo of what she might look like now at age 9.
