Offender May Soon Go Free After Raping & Killing 8-Year-Old By Luring Her With Ice Cream
When Adrian Jerry Gonzalez was 15 years old, he raped and killed his 8-year-old neighbor.
According to People, now, a court in Santa Cruz, California, will have to decide if he will be freed from prison as he will be 25 years old this year.
In 2021, Gonzalez pled guilty of charges in relation to the death of Madyson “Maddy” Middleton in 2015. Prosecutors are now trying to stop Gonzalez from being released.
It could be another 2 years before Gonzalez is released if a judge finds probable cause to prevent his release and if the matter goes to trial for the jury to decide.
On July 26, 2015, Maddy had last been observed riding her scooter through the Tannery Arts Center. This is an affordable housing community for artists where her mother resided.
A day following that, Maddy’s body was found at the bottom of a recycling bin at the location.
Gonzalez was apprehended the following day after investigators had seen him watching close by as they looked inside the bin the previous day.
Gonzalez was a sophomore in high school at the time and had rendered his services at a camp for young artists. It is thought that Maddy had gone with Gonzalez because she knew him as her neighbor and trusted him.
Documents state that Gonzalez had gotten Maddy to go with him to his apartment, promising her ice cream. He then attacked, strangled, and raped her. Afterwards, he stabbed her in the neck and put her body in the recycling bin.
Since Gonzalez was charged as an adult with murder with special circumstances, one count of kidnapping, and for sexual- assault-related charges, he could have been looking at life in prison.
However, prior to the matter going to trial in 2019, Senate Bill 1391, in California, prohibited the prosecution of 14 and 15-year-old as adults.
Thus, Gonzalez’s case was sent back to the juvenile court in 2021, and he pled guilty to the charges. When he turns 25 in October of this year, Gonzalez will age out of the juvenile system.
