Honk News (Houston, TX) – A Texas woman has been taken into custody after the heartbreaking passing of a 16-year-old girl with disabilities under her supervision, who was discovered to weigh merely 78 pounds.
Tracy Gonzales, 48, is facing allegations of inflicting significant injury on a person with disabilities. Houston authorities began an investigation around 7:45 p.m. on March 25 after receiving a report about a body discovered in the 700 block of East 32nd Street, situated on the northern side of the city.
Upon their arrival, authorities found Nayeli Perez dead in her bedroom, showing signs of “unknown injuries.” The investigation uncovered that her demise was due to malicious actions.
In the upcoming months, officials slowly pieced together the information regarding Nayeli’s tragic conclusion. Eventually, custody of the girl was granted to Gonzales, although the police and publicly available court records do not indicate when this occurred. Following this, the defendant began receiving disability payments meant for Nayeli’s support.
It has been reported that Gonzales failed to contact authorities about Nayeli’s deteriorating condition. Officials indicate that Gonzales was concerned about the well-being of her children. It is reported that she admitted to employing a belt as a disciplinary measure on the victim.
The document disclosed, “The accused mentioned she would shut her eyes and was unaware of where she hit [Nayeli],” the document stated.
According to police reports, Gonzales allegedly mentioned that she would hit Nayeli because of the victim’s “inability to use [the] bathroom and eat food.” Officials found her deceased body dressed solely in a diaper, as all her other garments had been soiled, as stated in the affidavit. Authorities report that she suffered stab wounds to her genitals, in addition to experiencing malnutrition and dehydration.
Gonzales reported that she had been away for the whole day and returned to find the victim in a “somewhat difficult” condition, as noted in police reports.
Officials indicate that the girl was achieving a first-grade proficiency in both mathematics and reading skills. Officials have indicated that her weight is recorded at 78 pounds. Documents indicate that Nayeli weighed around 40 pounds more in February 2022. Reports indicate that Gonzales acted as Nayeli’s foster mother.
A neighbor, Frank Rodriguez, revealed to the outlet that the victim was once a classmate of his daughter, although she stopped going to school around a year ago. Gonzales mentioned that Rodriguez regularly offered explanations for Nayeli’s repeated class absences.
Prior to that, Rodriguez suggested that all appeared to be in order.
“She was simply an ordinary girl,” he shared with the television network.
Gonzales is presently held at the Harris County Jail, where a bond has been established at $200,000. A court appearance is scheduled for January 7.