Teen Charged as Adult in Rape, Murder of Girl

The 15-year-old boy accused of murdering his 8-year-old neighbor in Santa Cruz, California, has been charged as an adult, reports the Los Angeles Times, and the reason makes for tough reading. Authorities say AJ Gonzalez lured Maddy Middleton to his family's apartment when nobody was home, at which point the girl "was tied up, beaten, strangled, raped, killed and dumped in a garage recycling bin," reports the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Gonzalez faces six felonies, including murder, rape, and kidnapping by lying in wait. “I can’t remember any 15-year-old with these specific charges," says local DA Jeff Rosell. “People do things for lots of reasons. Sometimes we understand them. Sometimes we don’t." (More child murder stories.)