Woman arrested after 5-year-old girl is found being forced to live in closet

Oklahoma City police arrested a woman accused of forcing a 5-year-old girl in her home to live in a closet among her own urine and feces.

BY TIFFANY GIBSON tgibson@opubco.com
Published: July 20, 2011

A malnourished 5-year-old girl forced to live in a closet weighed less than 20 pounds when taken to a hospital Monday.
The girl had several marks on her thighs that appeared to be from being beaten with a cord, according to a probable cause affidavit. Her arms and legs were very thin, and the bones in her joints were visible.
She had very little muscle tissue on her bones and a couple of small cuts on her arms with dried blood, according to a police report.
Her mother, Asusena Marie Gonzales, 31, was arrested on complaints of child neglect and child abuse.
Officers were called to the 1100 block of SW 36 shortly before 11 a.m. Monday to help a state Department of Human Services worker. The employee told police the girl's caretaker was forcing her to stay in the closet and gave her a cup to urinate and defecate in.
The girl appeared to be very emaciated and beaten, police said. Five other children were placed into protective custody.
Seemed ‘normal'
In their absence, scooters lie in the driveway of the house. Next-door neighbor Brenda Iniguez, 22, said the family had recently moved to the neighborhood.
She said she remembers watching the children play outside.
Neighbor Veronica Ramirez, 31, said she's surprised to hear about the neglect.
“They seemed like normal people,” she said. “When I saw the police taking the kids, I started crying.”
Ramirez said the only interaction she has had with the family is giving one of the girls a free chow chow and shepherd mix puppy about two months ago.
“I don't understand how people can mistreat their kids,” Ramirez said.


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pi-girl wrote:The girl appeared to be very emaciated and beaten, police said. Five other children were placed into protective custody.
Seemed ‘normal'
Neighbor Veronica Ramirez, 31, said she's surprised to hear about the neglect.
“They seemed like normal people,” she said. “When I saw the police taking the kids, I started crying.”

She appeared to be emaciated and beaten...but they seemed like normal people???

pi-girl wrote:

pi-girl wrote:The girl appeared to be very emaciated and beaten, police said. Five other children were placed into protective custody.
Seemed ‘normal'
Neighbor Veronica Ramirez, 31, said she's surprised to hear about the neglect.
“They seemed like normal people,” she said. “When I saw the police taking the kids, I started crying.”

She appeared to be emaciated and beaten...but they seemed like normal people???

She weighed less than 20 pounds, and seemed normal????