Madyson Middleton’s teenaged neighbor lured her death: cops

The teen, who lived on the same property at the Tannery Arts Center where 8-year-old Madyson Middleton’s body was found, took her to his apartment and allegedly killed her there, Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel said at a news conference Tuesday. “It’s a community of like-minded people”.

Vogel said investigators believed the girl was put into the bin, downstairs from the suspect’s apartment, shortly after she was killed.

Police say Madyson is 4 feet tall, weighs 48 pounds, has long blondish-brown hair and dark eyes.

Hundreds of volunteers had searched surrounding areas to look for Madyson, who was last seen Sunday afternoon.

“I can’t explain how hard this is”, the girl’s mother, Laura Jordan, said earlier Monday. Her daughter frequently played with friends who lived at the Tannery. The body was found concealed in the bin Monday night.

Residents said the boy was often seen skateboarding around the complex or playing with a yo-yo. Maybe she got bored waiting for her play date, maybe she found another friend. How Maddy was killed and whether she was molested will be determined by a coroner’s examination.

She said a group of 200 folks fanned out again this morning.

“It feels like a weird, random act of violence that nothing can be learned from”, she said.

The back of the residential facility at the center is next to a concrete path and a heavily wooded area that leads to the river.

“I think she had a reasonable amount of trust in him”, he said.

“None of us have slept”, said Kirby Scudder, a Tannery resident.

Deputy Chief Steve Clark said the case doesn’t meet the criteria to issue a statewide Amber alert.

Maddy was last seen on a video surveillance camera in the building’s courtyard riding her scooter past a cluster of mailboxes at 5:07pm.

“She was just as happy as can be riding around”… This is our child. “We want to blame someone”. He was taken into custody soon afterward, with his mother screaming in agony.

She reluctantly called emergency services at 6:08pm on Sunday.

On Monday, the Santa Cruz Police Department did offer new details on Madyson Middleton’s slaying (via KRON). Beyond the complex, authorities searched forest, parks and coastline.

“Our hearts and our thoughts and our prayers go out to those close to Madyson who have been devastated by the loss of this very precious life”, he said at the news conference outside police headquarters. “They were helping us search all night and the next day”. Police ask with information that can help to safely locate Madyson Middleton, to call 911. Middleton’s father, Michael, spent much of Monday searching the streets with friends.

Elizabeth Mendoza of Santa Cruz, 49, stopped at the memorial to pay her respects Tuesday on her way to ride her mountain bike on the trails of the nearby Pogonip Open Space Preserve.