HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Houston foster mother is in jail on Tuesday night after being accused of causing horrific injuries that led to the death of a teenager under her care.
Back in March, 16-year-old Neyali Perez was found dead inside the home of her foster mother, Tracy Gonzalez.
On Monday, Dec. 30, Gonzalez was arrested in front of the same house on charges of injury to a disabled person.
Neighbors shared a video of Gonzalez being taken into custody on Monday in Independence Heights. The video also shows Child Protective Services workers taking her two younger daughters away.
According to records, Neyali Perez weighed just 78 pounds when she died and suffered from several horrific injuries.
"It is alleged (that when Perez was found), she was only wearing a diaper," a judge read out during Gonzalez's initial probable cause court appearance. "The records show that Houston Fire Department paramedics found Perez 'had stab wounds to the genitals, suffering from dehydration and malnutrition.'"
The news that Gonzalez was charged in the death of Perez shocked neighbors. The Rodriguez family lives next door, and until a year ago, they saw Perez regularly.
"She actually went to school with my daughter," Frank Rodriguez said, adding that Perez did not look outwardly handicapped. The family tells ABC13 that Perez told them that she had learning differences and had been diagnosed with autism.
"She was just a normal girl. Going to school," Rodriguez said.
The Rodriguez family says Perez stopped showing up for school a year ago but that when asked, Gonzalez always had an excuse.
However, new court records show her condition deteriorated considerably under Gonzalez's care, and the foster mother never notified authorities.
In February 2022, medical records show Perez weighed 118 pounds, 40 pounds heavier than her weight when she was found dead this past March.
Perez was found wearing nothing but a diaper, and her other clothes were all dirty.
Gonzalez is now behind bars with a bond set at $200,000.
Investigators say Gonzalez didn't report the condition of Perez because she didn't want to lose custody of her younger children.
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