Disturbing new details have emerged following the arrest of five individuals accused of kidnapping and torturing a woman at a home in southeast Austin. The shocking discovery unfolded on October 30, when officers responded to cries for help at a residence on the 1700 block of Bitter Creek Drive.
According to the Austin Police Department, the woman was found handcuffed to a workout apparatus lodged in a fence, naked from the waist down, and visibly in pain. The arrest affidavit described the handcuffs as so tight they had cut into her skin and restricted blood flow.
The victim, whose identity has not been released, told officers she had been restrained for months, repeatedly shot with a BB gun, beaten, and left chained outside in the cold overnight. Hospital staff later documented hundreds of BB scars, bruising across her back, and portions of flesh missing from her hands and feet.
Investigators identified the suspects as Michelle Garcia, 51; Crystal Garcia, 21; Mache Carney, 32; Juan Pablo Castro, 30; and Maynard Lefevers, 21. All five were taken into custody at the scene and charged with Aggravated Kidnapping.
The woman reportedly told investigators that she had been visiting a friend who lived at the home but was suddenly held captive when the group “decided they didn’t like her anymore.” She described months of abuse and humiliation at the hands of her captors.
In interviews with police, the suspects claimed the woman lived with them voluntarily but alleged they handcuffed her to prevent her from “breaking out” and committing thefts. They admitted that one suspect would shoot her with a BB gun as “punishment” when she resisted restraint.
Authorities called the case one of the most disturbing acts of prolonged abuse they have seen in recent years. All five suspects remain held in the Travis County Jail as the investigation continues.