Maddy Middleton’s family issues statement

The fate of a teen accused of murdering a young girl now rests in the hands of a Santa Cruz judge.

The judge has to decide whether to try 17-year-old Adrian Gonzalez as an adult in the murder of eight-year-old Maddy Middleton two years ago.

This is the first case in Santa Cruz County since proposition 57 passed in November. District Attorneys used to be able to file adult charges against juveniles, but now a judge has to decide whether to send young offenders to adult court.

Over the past two months, prosecutors from the DA office have argued that Adrian Gonzalez is a sophisticated criminal. The teen, turning 18 on Friday, is accused of sexually assaulting and killing his neighbor, eight-year-old Maddy Middleton in 2015. It’s a case that has shocked the community.

In Tuesday’s closing statements, prosecutors called this case arguably the most egregious crime in the county and five years in juvenile hall won’t be enough.

“This is not something that’s going to be a simple fix, a remedy. This is something, in the words of Dr. Tucker, an individual will have to deal with for the rest of his life,” said Rafael Vasquez.

Gonzalez’s lawyers again paint the picture of a teen with a traumatic past, who suffers from anxiety and social disorders. And they say juvenile hall is where Gonzalez needs to be.

“We never want this to happen again, ever. But we need to punished Adrian in a safe environment with more rehabilitation and more treatment,” said Lawrence Biggam.

The Middleton family issued a statement regarding the case and thanked the community for support during, “this exhaustive hearing.”

Middleton Family statement: “We have faith that Judge Salazar will look into his heart and make the right decision to try Gonzalez as an adult. More importantly, we have faith that Judge Salazar will see the facts as they stand – undeniable and irrefutable – that Gonzalez cannot be rehabilitated. The evidence presented during this hearing has only enforced what many already knew: that, if released, Gonzalez – who has many of the hallmark traits of a potential serial killer – would kill again.

No punishment can ever undo what was done or bring our beloved Maddy back to us, but it is our hope that this cannot happen again.

Through our pain and overwhelming loss, we hope that we can help prevent another needless loss of life – not just here in Santa Cruz, but across the country.

In March of 2017 we founded Maddy Child Angel of Santa Cruz (www.maddyangel.com) a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to help educate children and parents about safety and protection. If we can help save lives and keep children safe, then Maddy’s death will not have been in vain.

We would also like to thank the almost 8,000 people who signed our on-line petition, supporting Judge Salazar to try Maddy’s killer as an adult. It is our hope that all of your voices are heard and taken into consideration as well.

We will be releasing another statement once Judge Salazar has handed down his decision.

Dan Middleton & Family”

If sent back to juvenile hall, Gonzalez will walk free before he turns 23. And if tried as an adult, he could face life in prison.

The defense is expected to wrap up their statements tomorrow. And the judge is expected to hand down a decision sometime next week.