Five Arrested After Texas Woman Found Chained, Tortured in Backyard for Months [WATCH]

Five people have been arrested in Austin, Texas, after police discovered a half-naked woman chained to a metal exercise stand in a backyard where she was allegedly held captive and tortured for months, as reported by The New York Post.

The Austin Police Department responded to a 911 call around 9 a.m. on Oct. 30 reporting a woman screaming for help from a home on the city’s south side. Officers arrived to find the woman shackled to a punching bag stand, naked from the waist down, and suffering from serious injuries.

Police said the woman was in visible distress and showed injuries consistent with being restrained for an extended period of time. Because officers were unable to remove the restraints, the Austin Fire Department was called to bring specialized equipment to cut through the metal.

Half-naked woman was allegedly tortured and chained in Texas backyard for months by five ‘friends’ who didn’t ‘like her anymore’
https://t.co/z1TlBGzZPK

The victim told investigators that she’d been friends with Michelle Garcia, but stated that the group “at some point, they …

— Lets Go Buffalo (@NYMetsfan11279) November 6, 2025

Five adults inside the home — Michelle Garcia, 51; Crystal Garcia, 21; Mache Carney, 32; Juan Pablo Castro, 30; and Maynard Lefevers, 21 — allegedly tried to flee as officers arrived but were quickly detained.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Two young children were also found living at the home and were taken into the care of Child Protective Services.

According to an affidavit obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, the victim told investigators she had once been friends with Michelle Garcia, but said that “at some point, they [the group] decided they no longer liked her.” The five allegedly began keeping her captive and abusing her.

Police said the woman was forced to live outside for weeks, often shackled with her wrists locked behind her, and was fed just one plate of food per day.

Michelle Garcia allegedly told investigators she limited the woman’s meals because she believed the victim had become “chunky.” Authorities said the woman appeared severely malnourished when she was found.

The victim told police that the night before her rescue, her pants had slipped down and she “got in trouble.” As punishment, she said she was shot with a BB gun, cuffed to the backyard stand, and left half-naked overnight in temperatures that dropped into the 40s.

Investigators reported that the woman suffered open wounds, severe wrist swelling, loss of tissue from her hands and feet, and scarring from BB pellets. Doctors later discovered a BB 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 reportedly said he would “chase her around the yard” after coming home from work, adding that he “f–king hates her.”

One of the children in the home — identified as Castro’s 4-year-old son — told police his father would shoot the woman when she was “bad,” while his mother, Carney, watched.

All five suspects have been charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, injury to the elderly or disabled, and unlawful restraint. They remain held in the Travis County Jail on $305,000 bail each.

Carney and Michelle Garcia are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18 and 21, while Crystal Garcia, Castro, and Lefevers are set to appear on Dec. 15.

The case remains under investigation.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.