A woman allegedly spent months chained up, abused and starved in an Austin, Texas yard by “friends” who decided they “didn’t like her anymore,” according to police.

Austin Police took five suspects into custody Oct. 30, after receiving a call about a woman “in distress” who was restrained and shouting for help in the backyard of a home, according to a statement from authorities.

Michelle Garcia, 51; Crystal Garcia, 21; Mache Carney, 32; Juan Pablo Castro, 30; and Maynard Lefevers, 21; are now facing charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, injury to elderly or disabled and unlawful restraint in connection to the alleged abuse.

Woman Told Police She “Was Not Allowed To Leave”

Officers arrived around 9:09 a.m. Oct. 30 to find an adult woman, naked from the waist down and showing signs of “physical distress,” handcuffed to a piece of exercise equipment.

According to the police statement, “The woman told officers she had been held at the residence for several months and was not allowed to leave.”

The officers attempted to free the woman, who had injuries including open wounds, swollen wrists and missing flesh from her hands and feet, but had to call for assistance from the Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services to cut through “heavy metal links” to secure her release, police said in the statement.

As they were working, officers noticed multiple people trying to leave the house and took them into custody. They also found three children inside the property, who were placed into the care of Child Protective Services, authorities said.

The victim told investigators that she had been friends with one of the women, however, the group decided one day that “they didn’t like her anymore and no longer allowed her to leave,” according to an affidavit viewed by the Austin American-Statesman.

Victim Suffers Months of Abuse, Police Say

For months, police said the victim was restrained, starved and repeatedly shot with a BB gun, leaving her with scars all over her body, per the affidavit. Scans at the hospital later showed one BB still lodged in her right eye.

Several suspects admitted to keeping her “restrained” outside, according to the affidavit. Michelle Garcia allegedly told police they began handcuffing the woman in the yard because the victim often relieved herself there and Michelle Garcia didn’t want her neighbors to see. Others reportedly claimed the restraints were to keep the woman, who they said suffered from mental health issues, from stealing from the neighbors, the affidavit alleged.

RELATED: Convicted Ex-Lovers Who Shot Two Illinois Women Dead Speak Out From Jail

Police said the victim was given just one plate of food to eat a day and appeared malnourished when she was rescued, despite Michelle Garcia’s claims that they adopted the diet because the woman was getting “chunky,” according to the court records obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.

Castro, who is Carney’s husband and Michelle Garcia’s son-in-law, also allegedly confessed to chasing the woman around the yard and shooting her with BB gun pellets after getting home from work, adding that he got an electric rifle-style gun because he didn’t want to touch her, according to the affidavit.

When asked why he shot the woman, he allegedly replied “I [expletive] hate her,” authorities said in the court records.

One of the children living in the home also told investigators during an interview that Castro shot the victim whenever she was “bad.” 

Michelle Garcia and Carney—who both have court appointed attorneys—are expected to appear for separate court dates later this month. Crystal Garcia, Castro and Lefevers are still waiting for their next court date, according to The Austin-American Statesman.

Its unclear whether any have entered pleas yet to the charges against them.