Latest news with #SenateBill1391
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teen arrested in fatal shooting of homeless man in Long Beach, police say
A 15-year-old boy was arrested Thursday on suspicion of fatally shooting a homeless man at an encampment in Long Beach, authorities said. The Long Beach Police Department responded to a call in the 2600 block of East Ocean Boulevard shortly before 2 a.m. on Nov. 24. Upon arriving, they found two men near an encampment at a beach playground suffering from upper body gunshot wounds. The first man was taken to a hospital and recovered, while the second was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as 51-year-old Frank Suggs, according to the L.A. County medical examiner's office. Read more: Seven injured in Long Beach shooting near nightclub Police said the teenager, whose identity has not been released, is responsible for both shootings. The motive behind and circumstances leading up to the shootings remain under investigation, police said. The teen was arrested in Long Beach and booked on suspicion of murder. He is being held without bail at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Detectives intend to present the case to the L.A. County district attorney's office for filing consideration next week. In California, a 15-year-old charged with murder must be tried in juvenile court. This is because of Senate Bill 1391, which took effect in 2019 and prohibits minors age 14 and 15 from being prosecuted in adult court, regardless of the severity of the offense. Read more: Judge orders more than 100 youths moved out of troubled L.A. County juvenile hall If convicted of murder, a juvenile can be held in prison until age 25. The victim's brother, Anthony Suggs, told the Long Beach Post that he was grateful an arrest has been made, but sad to learn how young the suspect is. 'Now you have another family going to go through some stuff,' he told the outlet. Frank Suggs was from Indiana, where he lived with his wife and children until about eight years ago when he became homeless while grappling with mental health and substance use issues, his brother told the Post. He lived on the streets of Las Vegas and later Los Angeles, Anthony Suggs said. Another 15-year-old boy was arrested earlier this month in connection with a fatal shooting in Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Police Department. That teen is suspected of killing 21-year-old Brandon Villarreal after the pair got into an argument outside the Long Beach Grand Prix around 5:50 p.m. on April 12. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
24-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Teen arrested in fatal shooting of homeless man in Long Beach, police say
A 15-year-old boy was arrested Thursday on suspicion of fatally shooting a homeless man at an encampment in Long Beach, authorities said. The Long Beach Police Department responded to a call in the 2600 block of East Ocean Boulevard shortly before 2 a.m. on Nov. 24. Upon arriving, they found two men near an encampment at a beach playground suffering from upper body gunshot wounds. The first man was taken to a hospital and recovered, while the second was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as 51-year-old Frank Suggs, according to the L.A. County medical examiner's office. Police said the teenager, whose identity has not been released, is responsible for both shootings. The motive behind and circumstances leading up to the shootings remain under investigation, police said. The teen was arrested in Long Beach and booked on suspicion of murder. He is being held without bail at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Detectives intend to present the case to the L.A. County district attorney's office for filing consideration next week. In California, a 15-year-old charged with murder must be tried in juvenile court. This is because of Senate Bill 1391, which took effect in 2019 and prohibits minors age 14 and 15 from being prosecuted in adult court, regardless of the severity of the offense. If convicted of murder, a juvenile can be held in prison until age 25. The victim's brother, Anthony Suggs, told the Long Beach Post that he was grateful an arrest has been made, but sad to learn how young the suspect is. 'Now you have another family going to go through some stuff,' he told the outlet. Frank Suggs was from Indiana, where he lived with his wife and children until about eight years ago when he became homeless while grappling with mental health and substance use issues, his brother told the Post. He lived on the streets of Las Vegas and later Los Angeles, Anthony Suggs said. Another 15-year-old boy was arrested earlier this month in connection with a fatal shooting in Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Police Department. That teen is suspected of killing 21-year-old Brandon Villarreal after the pair got into an argument outside the Long Beach Grand Prix around 5:50 p.m. on April 12.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Yahoo
Juror speaks out after trial for Maddy Middleton's killer
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON) — A Santa Cruz County juror who served for the trial of Madyson 'Maddy' Middleton's killer says the case's outcome fails to ensure justice for the 8-year-old murder victim's family. Adrian Gonzalez, 25, was 15 years old when he raped and murdered the little girl. Since the shocking 2015 killing, he has served nearly a decade in juvenile detention centers. Joan Hoyt, also known as 'Juror No. 5' during the trial, was one of twelve jurors who decided that Gonzalez is still too dangerous to be released from custody. The jury reached a verdict in February, blocking Gonzalez's release until 2026. Under California's juvenile justice law, Senate Bill 1391, he will have a new chance for freedom every two years. After listening to more than three months of testimony about Gonzalez's crime, rehabilitation history, and psychological profile, Hoyt said California's political leaders need to reform SB 1391 to keep offenders like Gonzalez locked up for life. 'The spirit of the law was probably in a very good place. I don't think we should be over-prosecuting juveniles as adults. However, the fact that there are zero exceptions to this law, is flawed. I think it's really obvious that this law is flawed. The state legislature, I'm calling for them to say hey … let's change it,' Hoyt told KRON4. SB 1391 specifies that, under no circumstances, can a 14 or 15-year-old offender be put on trial, punished, and incarcerated as an adult. When he murdered Maddy, Gonzalez was four months away from his 16th birthday. Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell told KRON4 that SB 1391 'is the worst piece of legislation I have ever seen.' Gonzalez's case is a stark example of why California's law must change, the district attorney said after the jury's verdict. 'There needs to be changes in the law. I think we've seen, for the first time, that citizens of our community … are outraged,' Rosell said. Judge Denine Guy said Gonzalez will be transferred from Santa Cruz County to a Sonoma County juvenile detention center. 'I can't believe that's where he's going,' Hoyt told KRON4. 'This is a 25 year old man, who we just said is very dangerous to the community, (and) we are now sending him back to a juvenile facility with teenagers?' Cases as exceptionally severe as Gonzalez's case should be excluded from falling under SB 1391, Hoyt said. 'A 15 year old …. who kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered an 8 year old, that's clearly an exception,' Hoyt said. For his trial, Gonzalez took the stand and retold, in grisly detail, why he decided to rape his young neighbor in their apartment complex at the Tannery Arts Center. He lured the 8-year-old girl into his mother's apartment with promises of ice cream. Gonzalez testified, 'She was serving herself (ice cream) on the kitchen counter. I grabbed her, picked her up, put duct tape on her mouth. She was screaming, resisting. She was kicking her legs, trying to get up, and trying to fight back. I had my hand on her mouth and neck to choke her.' Maddy was choked until she fell unconscious. After the sexual assault, 'I decided to kill Madyson because I wanted to hide what I had done to her,' Gonzalez testified. 'I put her in the garbage that we had in the apartment to hide her body. I grabbed a knife in the kitchen to stab her in the neck.' Deputy District Attorney Tara George said sex offender treatment programs and therapy sessions that Gonzalez received in custody fell far short. Juvenile centers are unfit to deal with someone like Gonzalez, George said. During closing arguments, George said Gonzalez wore a 'mask' that was 'meant to trick us into believing he's safe … into believing he's rehabilitated. Secrets, callous, lack of empathy — that's all innate in him. He hid who he was (in 2015), and he's hiding who he is now.' One reason why Gonzalez is still dangerous, according to George, is his lack of empathy and remorse. 'He hasn't shed one tear,' George said. Maddy's mother attended the lengthy trial. Hoyt said serving on the jury was 'one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. You can't un-see these things. From a mental health standpoint, I'm hurting. I can't even imagine Maddy's mom having to sit through this, and then having to do this in two more years.' Jurors were barred from conducting their own research into the history of Gonzalez's case and SB 1391 during the trial. July 26, 2015: Gonzalez kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered Maddy at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz. He joined volunteer search teams pretending to look for the missing girl and he passed out fliers. He was arrested a day later when police found the girl's body. July 29, 2015: District Attorney Jeff Rosell made the decision to charge Gonzalez as an adult. 2018: The California State Legislature drafted and voted in favor of Senate Bill 1391, requiring all offenders between ages 14-15 to remain in the juvenile system. Despite opposition from district attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and victims' rights groups, then-Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1391 into law that year. February 2021: The California Supreme Court ruled that SB 1391 was constitutional and upheld the law. One of the bill's co-sponsors, Michael Mendoza of the National Advocacy Anti-Recidivism Coalition, said in 2021, 'Youth have a unique capacity for transformation. Youth should be treated as youth by our justice system. Healed communities are safer communities, and we know firsthand how individuals can change their lives and future trajectories if allowed age-appropriate care.' Frankie Guzman of the National Center for Youth Law said in 2021, 'California honors the value and potential that all 14- and 15-year-old children possess to learn from their mistakes and grow to become healthy, productive members of our society.' May 2021: Gonzalez pleaded guilty to kidnapping, raping, and murdering Maddy. He entered the Department of Juvenile Justice. 2023: DJJ closed and Maddy's killer was sent to a Secure Youth Treatment facility in Sonoma County. 2024: Gonzalez aged out of the juvenile system when he turned 25 in October. The Santa Cruz County Probation Department asked the district attorney to file a petition to extend Gonzalez's time in custody, believing that he would be physically dangerous to the public if released. November 2024: The jury trial began. February 2025: Jurors reached a verdict declaring Gonzalez would be too dangerous if he was freed from custody. Deputy District Attorney Tara George, said, 'The entire community felt the loss of Maddy Middleton in 2015, and the effects of the crime are still felt. Adrian Gonzalez poses as much danger to our community today as he did the day the crime was committed. The verdict of the jury demonstrates that members of this community will not permit him to be released until he no longer poses a danger.' Gonzalez was transferred back to Sonoma County where he is currently living in a Secure Youth Treatment facility with teenagers. 2026: Under SB 1391, Gonzalez will either be freed from custody, or the entire legal process will be repeated every two years with a new trial. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
21-02-2025
- CBS News
Teen killer of 8-year-old Maddy Middleton, now 25, denied parole in Santa Cruz County
A convicted child-killer and rapist was denied parole by a jury, according to prosecutors, nearly a decade since his crimes shocked Santa Cruz County and the rest of the country. The jury found that Adrian Gonzalez -- who kidnapped, raped, and murdered 8-year-old Madyson "Maddy" Middleton in Santa Cruz in July 2015 -- would pose a danger if released, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Thursday. "The entire community felt the loss of Maddy Middleton in 2015, and the effects of the crime are still felt. Adrian Gonzalez poses as much danger to our community today as he did the day the crime was committed. The verdict of the jury demonstrates that members of this community will not permit him to be released until he no longer poses a danger," Chief Deputy District Attorney Tara George said. On July 26, 2015, Madyson was lured into another apartment by Gonzalez, who duct-taped her mouth shut and sexually assaulted her. He then stabbed and strangled her to death before he dumped her body in a dumpster. Gonzalez, who was 15 years and 8 months old at the time of the crime, was charged two days later as an adult and was set for trial in 2017. However, his case became legally complicated as then-California governor Jerry Brown controversially signed Senate Bill 1391 into law in 2018, which specified that under no circumstances could a 14- or 15-year-old be tried as an adult. Despite opposition from district attorneys, law enforcement agencies and victims' rights groups, a Supreme Court ruling later confirmed the legality of Senate Bill 1391 and prevented Gonzalez from being tried as an adult. Gonzalez entered the Department of Juvenile Justice on May 25, 2021, and stayed there until its closure on June 19, 2023. After its closure, he was sent to a Secure Youth Treatment facility in Sonoma County where he was incarcerated until he turned 25 in 2024. In July, a probable cause hearing was conducted to determine whether Gonzalez still poses a danger to the community or he should stay in custody for two more years. The judge approved a jury trial, which started on Nov. 7. The trial, which lasted three and a half months, found that Adrian should not be released from custody.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Jury decides man who killed 8-year-old Maddy Middleton should remain in prison
A 25-year-old man convicted of killing his 8-year-old neighbor when he was 15 years old will remain behind bars for at least two more years, a Santa Cruz jury has decided. Adrian Jerry Gonzalez pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of Madyson "Maddy" Middleton in the summer of 2015. Gonzalez was originally charged as an adult, but before his case went to trial, California passed a law that bars the state from prosecuting 14- and 15-year-olds as adults. Under Senate Bill 1391, Gonzalez would have been eligible to be released from prison when he turned 25, which happened last year. On Wednesday, a jury decided that Gonzalez should remain in custody, according to San Francisco Bay Area news station KTVU-TV. Prosecutors argued that due to the violent nature of Gonzalez's crime, he posed a risk to the community and should remain in custody. The jury began deliberating Monday after several weeks of testimony and evidence presentation in the case. Gonzalez took the stand during the trial and KTVU reported that he described killing his neighbor. 'This was an incredibly difficult case from 2015 and the impact that it has had on the community and we are still feeling the rippling effects of it almost 10 years later,' prosecuting attorney Tara George told the Santa Cruz Sentinel after the verdict was read. 'The work and effort that was put in by everyone involved in our community to keep all of us safe was a tireless effort on behalf of our jurors and so we thank them for their service.' Maddy lived in an affordable housing complex for artists with her mother and was last seen on the evening of July 26, 2015, riding her scooter. Prosecutors described in court documents how Gonzalez lured the girl to his apartment with the promise of ice cream, then raped and killed her. Her body was discovered in the apartment complex's recycling bin nearly 24 hours after she was reported missing. Gonzalez was reportedly seen watching detectives search through the bin and he was arrested the following day, police told The Times in 2015. Gonzalez was set to be tried as an adult when Senate Bill 1391 went into effect. A Santa Cruz Superior Court judge sought to transfer the case out of the juvenile court system, arguing that the law was unconstitutional, but the California State Supreme Court upheld the law in 2021. Shortly afterward, Gonzalez's case was sent back to juvenile court and he pleaded guilty to all the charges, including murder with special circumstances, one count of kidnapping and four sexual assault-related offenses. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
