Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell said Wednesday, July 29, the teen is facing a charge of murder with special circumstances including kidnapping and sex offense. Once inside, he tied her up, sexually assaulted and killed her, according a charging document. Neighbors say he was seen around town on his skateboard. His recent Instagram posts @AwkwardYoYoer referenced unrequited love. In one post on Sunday – the day Maddy disappeared – Gonzalez plays the music from the horror movie “Donnie Darko”, captioned with lyrics from the song: “The Dreams in which I’m Dying are the Best I’ve ever had”. Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >>.
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Authorities haven’t been able to establish a motive in the killing.
When asked about details of the case, Rosell said, “In order to ensure a fair trial for him we’re under certain obligations and we can’t discuss specifics of the case”. Sometimes we understand them.
Rosell said, “I can’t remember any 15-year-old with these specific charges” that include six felonies, among them murder, forcible rape, great bodily injury and kidnapping by lying in wait. He declined to say whether Gonzalez had a criminal history. “We have charged this individual as an adult with the crimes for which he is responsible”. RAW VIDEO: Santa Cruz girl’s body found, suspect arrestedThe boy is accused of luring Maddy into his unit, where investigators suspect he was alone when he killed her, then placed her body in the recycling bin.
Maddy was reported missing at 6:08 p.m. Sunday after she was seen an hour earlier playing with friends and riding her Razor scooter around the complex.
Her disappearance prompted a frantic search, and FBI investigators went door to door looking for clues. Local, county, state and federal law enforcement as well as community volunteers – including some homeless people – combed the complex, the surrounding woods and the San Lorenzo River area all Sunday night and Monday.
A Santa Cruz police detective found Maddy’s body concealed at the bottom of a large recycling bin in a first-floor parking garage at the housing complex shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, according to police.
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Soon after the discovery, Gonzalez was found nearby, taken in by police for questioning and arrested on suspicion of homicide, Vogel said. “Everybody has been talking about him like he’s a monster and he is because he killed Maddy but I knew him as a regular teenager”.
