Maddy Middleton's Killer Could Be Released In 4 Years: Reports

SANTA CRUZ, CA — The man who killed his 8-year-old neighbor, Madyson "Maddy" Middleton, as a teenager in 2015 could walk free in less than four years, multiple news outlets reported.

Adrian "A.J." Gonzalez, 21, was sentenced Tuesday in Santa Cruz County Superior Court. He pleaded guilty April 13 to six felony counts immediately after his case was transferred to juvenile court, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported. He was 15 at the time of the murder.

Gonzalez would have faced two consecutive life prison sentences on charges of murder, kidnapping, sexual penetration, lewd and lascivious conduct and intercourse with a minor if he was tried as an adult, the Associated Press reported.

But his case was moved to juvenile court after the state Supreme Court in February upheld the constitutionality of Senate Bill 1391, a California law that said anyone younger than 16 cannot go through adult court proceedings, the paper reported.

Gonzalez said Tuesday that he planned to work on his problems and earn forgiveness for his actions, the Sentinel reported. Maddy's parents spoke of the painful loss of their child, according to the Sentinel reported.

Gonzalez lured Maddy into the apartment with ice cream, The Good Times reported, citing prosecutors. He lived with his mother in the Tannery Arts Complex, a low-income housing complex designed for artists, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported in 2015.

Maddy was last seen around 5 p.m. on the day she went missing, riding her Razor scooter outside the complex, police said. She was reported missing an hour later, police said.

Santa Cruz police officers, county sheriff's deputies, FBI personnel and other agencies searched for Maddy until the girl's body was found in a large recycling bin in a first-floor parking garage at the complex, according to police.

Investigators quickly detained Gonzalez, who lived in a unit above the garage. He was then booked into the county juvenile detention center.

Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, The Associated Press and The Good Times.

Previous:

• Maddy Middleton's Killer Pleads Guilty To All Charges: Report
• Autopsy Reveals Official Cause of Death For 8-Year-Old 'Maddy' Middleton
• Santa Cruz Warriors Plan Community Event For Little 'Maddy'
• 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
• Memorial Growing For Madyson 'Maddy' Middleton