Santa Cruz Warriors Plan Community Event For Little 'Maddy'

The family of an 8-year-old girl killed in Santa Cruz last month has teamed up with a basketball team to hold a community celebration in her memory later this month.

The Santa Cruz Warriors are planning the Aug. 23 event with Madyson “Maddy” Middleton’s family and residents from the Tannery Arts Center.

It will be held at the Kaiser Permanente Arena at 140 Front St. in Santa Cruz.

Maddy was reported missing on the evening of July 26 from the arts center, which also provides housing for artists, at 1030 River St., police said.

The girl lived with her mother at the housing complex on the center’s campus, where she was seen playing with friends and riding her Razor scooter just an hour before Santa Cruz police were notified of her disappearance. Police officers searched for her with the assistance of numerous other local, state and federal agencies through the night and the following day.

Maddy’s body was found in a recycling bin at a parking garage at the housing complex on July 27 and investigators found evidence that connected 15-year-old Adrian Jerry Gonzalez with her alleged murder, police said.

He has been charged with murder, kidnapping, committing a forcible lewd act on a child and other crimes, according to prosecutors. Gonzalez has been booked into the county juvenile detention and is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 21, prosecutors said.

• Previous:
• Teen, 15, Charged As Adult For 8-Year-Old Girl’s Death In Santa Cruz
• 15-Year-Old Murder Suspect Makes First Court Appearance
• Adrian Gonzalez: Photos, Details On Maddy Middleton’s Accused Killer From ‘Heavy’

--Bay City News