OKC Police Arrest Mom Accused Of Abusing Malnourished Child

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City police have arrested a 31-year-old woman accused of locking her 19-pound 5-year-old daughter in a feces-filled closet.

An employee with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services called police on July 18 to report a case of child neglect involving Asusena Marie Gonzales and her daughter. Police say when they arrived, they learned Gonzales' daughter had been forced to stay in a closet. She was allegedly given a cup in which to urinate and defecate.

Police say the closet reeked of urine and feces.

According to a police report, the little girl appeared very malnourished and emaciated. Officers noted her arms and legs were very thin, and they could see the bones at her joints.

They also noticed the child had small cuts on her arms, along with dried blood.

Police say they tried to speak to the child, but she wouldn't look at them and they could not understand what she was trying to say to them.

The police report says although the little girl appeared to be abused and living in a dirty closet, Gonzales' other five children appeared to be healthy. The officers also noted the rest of the house appeared in "relatively good order."

The DHS employee who reported the alleged abuse says it appears Gonzales may have targeted the girl because she looked like her father, and Gonzales did not like the girl's father.

The little girl was taken to a hospital. Doctors put the child on a scale and learned her weight was just 19 pounds.

Gonzales' other five children were taken into DHS custody.

Gonzales was booked into Oklahoma County Jail on one count of child neglect, and several city warrants.