Missing Girl’s ‘Party Mom’ Under Investigation for Murder

Police discovered Ava Marie Gonzales, then 2 years old, had been missing since December 2017 only after investigating her mother, Virginia Gonzales, for the alleged abuse of another daughter. Ava was never reported missing, and there were no school records for any of Gonzales's children, allowing her disappearance to go unnoticed for years.

Host Chris Stewart states, 'Police only found out that Ava Gonzales was missing since 2017 when they first started investigating Virginia Gonzales because of her other daughter who was allegedly found trapped in that closet.' (04:39) and 'Ava was never reported missing. And just to add to that, there are no records of any of the Gonzales children ever being in school.' (06:29)

The primary evidence leading to the murder investigation is the forensic interview of Virginia Gonzales's now 14-year-old son. He recounted witnessing his mother violently assault Ava in a motel bathtub when he was six, after which Ava was dressed, placed in a car seat, and never seen again, with his mother appearing 'happy, like a totally new person' afterward.

Chris Stewart details the son's account: 'He claims that he saw his mom violently assaulting Ava in the bathtub with the water running. And he says when the water turned off, the screaming stopped. He then says that he saw his mom put clothes on Ava and put her in a car seat. And he says that he thought that Ava was sleeping. Now, he claims that his mom said that Ava was going to live with a new mom and dad. He says he never saw his sister again, and he noted that after that happened, that his mom was happy, like a totally new person.' (09:23)

Virginia Gonzales's attorney, J. Gabriel Hernandez, plans to seek a continuance and change of venue for her upcoming child abuse trial, arguing that the public release of murder allegations just two weeks before the trial unfairly prejudices the jury pool. He claims the state's actions are 'suspicious' and designed to 'stretch facts to fit a narrative intended to convict my client of a higher charge.'

Hernandez is quoted: 'By seeking this warrant at this time, they are effectively poisoning the jury pool by reintroducing these allegations into the news cycle just before the January 26th trial date. This creates an unfair bias and prejudice against my client, making it nearly impossible to select an impartial jury.' (14:50)

The case highlights critical vulnerabilities in child protection, as conflicting stories about Ava's whereabouts were provided to Child Protective Services (CPS) and family members, including a forged document. The lack of school enrollment for any of Gonzales's children further removed them from official oversight, allowing Ava's disappearance to go undetected for years.

Chris Stewart mentions, 'Court records show that Gonzales' firstborn son... told detectives that Ava was given to a family when she was about three.' (06:56) and 'Child Protective Services... were told in November 2023 that Ava had moved in with her father. And there's a document that apparently was signed by one of the grandmothers... But when that grandmother was questioned, she said that it wasn't her signature on that document.' (07:19) Additionally, 'there are no records of any of the Gonzales children ever being in school.' (06:34)