Half-naked woman allegedly tortured and chained for months by ‘friends’ who didn’t ‘like her anymore’
A half-naked woman was found allegedly tortured and chained up in the backyard of an Austin, Texas, home on Oct. 30. Google maps
A woman was allegedly tortured and held captive in a Texas backyard for months, prompting the arrest of five people accused of starving her and shooting her with BB guns.
The Austin Police Department responded to a south Austin home around 9 a.m. on Oct. 30 after receiving a 911 call about a woman screaming for help while handcuffed to metal exercise equipment in the backyard.
Officers found the unnamed victim with severe injuries, naked from the waist down, and shackled to a punching bag stand. Firefighters were called in to cut through the metal restraints. Police reported that the woman showed visible signs of physical distress consistent with prolonged restraint.
While authorities were freeing the woman, five adults inside the home attempted to flee but were quickly detained. Two small children were also found living at the residence and were placed in the care of Child Protective Services.
The suspects — Michelle Garcia, 51; Crystal Garcia, 21; Mache Carney, 32; Juan Pablo Castro, 30; and Maynard Lefevers, 21 — are accused of holding the victim captive for months. According to an affidavit obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, the woman had been friends with Michelle Garcia, who, along with the others, allegedly decided to detain her after falling out with her.
The victim reported being forced to live outdoors for weeks, beaten when attempting to flee, and fed only one meal per day. Police said she was often shackled to a metal exercise stand, sometimes with both wrists locked behind her. Investigators noted that she appeared severely malnourished.
Authorities said the night before she was found, the victim was shot with a BB gun, cuffed to the backyard stand, and left outside overnight in near-freezing temperatures as punishment for her pants slipping down. She suffered extensive injuries, including open wounds, swelling of the wrists, tissue loss in her hands and feet, scarring from BB gun pellets, facial trauma, and a BB lodged in her right eye.
Castro allegedly admitted to police that he used a rifle-style BB gun to shoot the woman because he “didn’t want to touch her” and that he would chase her around the yard after returning from work. One of the children said Castro’s son witnessed him shooting the woman while his mother, Carney, often stood by.
All five suspects were charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, injury to the elderly or disabled, and unlawful restraint. They remain in Travis County Jail with bail set at $305,000. Carney and Michelle Garcia are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18 and 21, while Crystal Garcia, Castro, and Lefevers are set for Dec. 15.
The investigation is ongoing.
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