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The 25-year-old man convicted of killing an eight-year-old neighbor at the age of 15 will remain behind the bar for at least two years, a Santa Cruz ju judge has decided.
Adrian Gerry Gonzalez pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of Madison “Maddie” Middleton in the summer of 2015. Gonzalez was originally indicted as an adult, but before his case went to trial, California passed a law banning the prosecution of a 14-year-old. He is 15 years old as an adult.
Under Senate Bill 1391, Gonzalez would have been eligible for release from prison when he turned 25, which happened last year.
On Wednesday, the ju judge determined that Gonzalez should be taken into custody, according to San Francisco Bay Area News Station KTVU-TV. Prosecutors argued that because of the violent nature of Gonzalez’s crimes he poses a risk to the community and should be detained.
The ry judge began deliberations on Monday after weeks of testimony and presentation of evidence in the case. Gonzalez stood up during the trial, but KTVU reported that he explained that he had murdered his neighbor.
“This has been a very difficult case since 2015, and the impact it has had on the community is still feeling the rippling effect almost ten years later,” prosecutor Tara George said after the verdict was read. told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “The work and effort that everyone involved in our community has worked to keep us all safe has been a tireless effort on behalf of our ju-seekers, so I would like to thank them for their services. Masu.”
Maddie lives with her mother in an affordable housing complex for the artist and was last seen on a scooter on the evening of July 26, 2015. Prosecutors documented in court how Gonzalez invited the girl to his apartment with an ice cream promise, raped and killed her.
Her body was found in a recycling bin in her apartment nearly 24 hours after she was reported missing. Gonzalez reportedly was seen searching for the bin and was arrested the following day, police told The Times in 2015.
Gonzalez was scheduled to be tested as an adult when Senate Bill 1391 came into effect.
A Santa Cruz Superior Court judge tried to transfer the case from the juvenile court system, claiming the law was unconstitutional, but the California Supreme Court upheld the law in 2021.
Shortly thereafter, Gonzalez’s case was sent back to juvenile court, where he pleaded guilty to all charges including murder under special circumstances, one count of inducements and four crimes related to sexual assault.
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