Inside the Disturbing Case of Teen Who Withered Away While Foster Mom Allegedly Cashed Girl's Disability Checks
The 16-year-old victim was found wearing only a diaper and weighing 78 lbs. when she died, say police
Houston Police Department
Tracy GonzalesContent warning: The following article contains disturbing descriptions of abuse.
A Texas foster mother is facing serious criminal charges after the teenaged girl in her care died weighing just 78 lbs. while the woman cashed the child’s disability checks.
On Dec. 30, 2024, Tracy Gonzales, 48, was arrested and charged with injury to a disabled person with serious bodily injury in connection with the March 25, 2024 death of Nayeli Perez, 16, the Houston Police Department said in a release.
On March 25, 2024, officers responded to a home on E. 32nd St. in Houston about a report of a deceased person.
Inside the home, officers found an unresponsive girl, later identified as Perez, in her bedroom, suffering from unknown injuries, the department said in a release.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police began investigating her death after the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled Perez’s death a homicide.
“Following further investigation, Gonzales, who acted as Perez's caretaker, was arrested on December 30 and subsequently charged for her role in the victim's death,” the HPD said in the release.
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