Ava Marie Gonzales, now listed as 9, was last seen in Austin on December 25, 2017, when she was 2 and reportedly in the custody of her mother, Virginia Gonzales. The disappearance went unreported and unnoticed until April 2025, after a welfare check found Ava’s 7-year-old sister in severe neglect. That discovery prompted investigators to account for all children in the household and to learn that an eighth child, Ava, was unaccounted for and had no school records.

Authorities describe Ava as a Hispanic female with straight brown hair and brown eyes; childhood and age-progressed photos have been released and current height and weight are unknown because of the long lapse of time. The Austin Police Department is seeking information about her whereabouts; tips can be submitted by email or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 512-572-8477.

Does anyone in Austin recall seeing Ava or have information about where she might have been living after December 2017?