Austin, TX
Half-naked woman was allegedly tortured and chained in Texas backyard for months by five ‘friends’ who didn’t ‘like her anymore’
A half-naked woman was allegedly tortured and chained up in the backyard of a Texas home for months — leading to the arrest of five people who allegedly starved and shot at the defenseless victim with BB guns.
The Austin Police Department responded to a home on the south side of the city at around 9 a.m. on Oct. 30 after a 911 call was made regarding a woman screaming for help and handcuffed to metal exercise equipment in the backyard, according to a press release.
Officers arrived to find the unnamed woman suffering from severe injuries, naked from the waist down, and shackled to a punching bag stand.
The first responders quickly sprang into action and attempted to free the woman, but “due to the conditions of the restraints,” they had to call in the Austin Fire Department to bring special equipment to cut through the metal.
“The woman showed signs of physical distress and had visible injuries consistent with prolonged restraint,” police said.
As they worked to free the woman, five adults inside the home noticed what was happening and tried to flee, but were immediately caught and detained.
Police also found two small children living at the home who were placed in the care of Child Protective Services for safety and support.
The suspects — Michelle Garcia, 51, Crystal Garcia, 21, Mache Carney, 32, Juan Pablo Castro, 30, and Maynard Lefevers, 21 — had allegedly held the victim captive for months, police said.
The victim told investigators that she’d been friends with Michelle Garcia, but stated that the group “at some point, they decided they no longer liked her,” and the five decided to keep her as a captive, according to an affidavit obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.
She said she was forced to live outside for weeks and beaten whenever she tried to flee. It’s unclear when the victim was taken captive and exactly how many months she was held.
Detectives said the woman was fed just one plate of food a day and shackled to a metal exercise stand — sometimes with both wrists locked behind her.
Michelle Garcia allegedly told investigators she limited the woman to one meal a day because she thought the victim had gotten “chunky.”
However, investigators said the woman appeared severely malnourished.
The victim also said that the night before being found, her pants slipped down and she “got in trouble.” She was then shot with a BB gun, cuffed to a backyard stand and left there half-naked overnight as “punishment” while temperatures plunged into the 40s, the affidavit revealed.
During her captivity, she sustained extensive injuries, including open wounds, severe swelling of the wrists, loss of tissue from her hands and feet, widespread scarring from BB gun pellets, and significant facial trauma.
After being transported to a local hospital, doctors determined her injuries matched weeks of torture and restraint. Scans also found a BB was lodged in her right eye.
Castro allegedly told police he shot the woman with an electric rifle-style BB gun because he “didn’t want to touch her.”
He also allegedly admitted that when he would get home from work, he would grab the BB gun from his closet, and “chase her around the yard,” expressing that he “f–king hates her,” according to the affidavit.
One of the children found at the home — a four-year-old boy identified as Castro’s son — said his dad shot the woman whenever she was “bad,” and that his mom, Carney, usually stood by and watched.
All five suspects were arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, injury to the elderly or disabled, and unlawful restraint. They are all currently locked up at the Travis County Jail on $305,000 bail.
Carney and Michelle Garcia return to court on Nov. 18 and 21, while Crystal Garcia, Castro, and Lefevers are set to appear on Dec. 15.
The case remains under investigation.
To help families get moving together, South Texas Health System will host its 6th Annual Transform Your Life Health & Wellness Fair in just two weeks!
Join us on Saturday, July 18, at Tres Lagos North Park (@treslagosmcallen) in McAllen (@cityofmcallen) for a free morning of fitness, wellness and family fun, featuring:
💃 Zumba, yoga, pickleball and more
🍳 Healthy cooking demonstrations and food samples
🧘 Meditative and wellness activities
✅ Fun for all ages
For complete event details, visit https://sthsactive.com/ or the Facebook Events page at the link in our bio.”.
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin is losing several well-known street murals after the Texas Department of Transportation ordered the city to cover them, saying they violate state guidelines.
The city coated over multiple murals on Thursday, including the “Black Artists Matter” mural on East 11th Street and the Texas mural on Guadalupe Street near the University of Texas at Austin campus. People who live in Austin said the changes feel like a loss of culture and identity.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | City of Austin memo lays out street art that may have to be removed under Abbott order
“Kind of ridiculous. It wasn’t hurting anybody,” said Orion Sun, an East Austinite.
Landry Knowles, an Austinite, said, “It makes me feel really sad and angry.”
In some places, remnants of the murals could still be seen beneath the street coating.
The directive to cover what were described as “political ideologies” came from TxDOT earlier this summer under the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott. In a letter to the city, TxDOT said “the current markings are not acceptable and do not fully comply with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD) and related federal guidance.”
Austin Transportation and Public Works confirmed it covered the murals on Thursday.
For some residents, the change went beyond paint on pavement.
“It gave the place character. Now, it’s just another black street,” Sun said.
Knowles said the Texas mural “was a symbol of school pride,” she said. “The fact that it’s covered up, it erases part of the school’s identity.”
Knowles also said, “It erases creativity.”
Sun added, “It removes the uniqueness.”
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Some Austinites said they are hopeful new artwork will be created to replace what is now buried under the street coating.
AUSTIN, Texas – The City of Austin is preparing for its “Star-Spangled Fest” Fourth of July celebration.
The backstory:
Friday morning, crews were setting up at Auditorium Shores.
The morning portion on Saturday will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The afternoon portion will start at 4:30 p.m. and will go until 10 p.m.
There will be music, food, drinks, and plenty of activities for all ages.
It’s a free event. The city estimates past celebrations have drawn about 70,000 people.
“It’s in its 49th year so we know it’s important to the city. We know it is important to bring all different Austinites together,” Teri Smart, producer of the Star-Spangled Fest, said.
The grand finale will include a drone show and fireworks show, with 2,500 blasts going off.
“The symphony will be playing, there will be a drone show celebrating the last 250 years of travel evolution, so a little different spin on the 250th for America. And then the fireworks will go off, so it’s just going to be one thing after the other,” Smart said.
DPS Statewide Enforcement
If you’re hitting the road this weekend, you may see more state troopers on the highways. Texas DPS is cracking down on speeding, DWIs, and distracted driving.
DPS expects more people on the roads for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, plus World Cup events in Dallas and Houston.
“We know there’s going to be increased traffic, so we’re going to increase our presence on the highways and make sure everybody’s safe, and we can get everybody home safely,” Sgt. Billy Ray with Texas DPS said.
During last year’s Fourth of July enforcement campaign, DPS issued more than 64,241 citations and warnings, including 5,042 for speeding; 1,632 for no insurance; and more than 398 for individuals without seat belts or child seat restraints. DPS also arrested 277 people on DWI charges and 281 people for other felony charges.
Make sure your car is working well before you hit the road. Plan your route, and don’t drive distracted. If you see someone who might be intoxicated on the road, call law enforcement.
Boating safety
If you’re going to be out on the water, be mindful of your safety as well.
FOX 7 caught up with some boaters getting an early start to celebrating the Fourth of July at the Loop 360 boat ramp.
“It’s just like driving. Be defensive. You know, watch out for all the other people because there’s some crazy a** people out there, sorry, there’s some crazy people out there,” Darwin German said.
“Please don’t drink and drive. Please be safe out there. Look out for others too, and not only for others, but for yourself as well, be safe,” Manuela Atilano said.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Angela Shen
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