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Neighbors of pedophile Adrian Gonzalez who brutally raped and murdered Madyson Middleton, 8, fear his release as jury decides his fate thanks to Kamala Harris-backed reforms
The former neighbors of a violent pedophile who raped and murdered an eight-year-old girl say they are living in fear of his release from jail under a juvenile justice reform proposition authored by presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Adrian 'AJ' Gonzalez was just 15 when he brutally choked and stabbed innocent Madyson Middleton after luring her into his mother's apartment in Santa Cruz, California, with promises of ice cream.
He also raped her as she lay dying and then wrapped her body in a trash bag before leaving it in a dumpster beneath the Tannery Arts Center apartment complex where they both lived.
Now 24, the evil killer could be released due to the 2016 ballot initiative backed by Kamala Harris during her tenure as California Attorney General.
Jurors, who are due to be selected Monday, will hear arguments for and against Gonzalez's release for the rest of the week. They are expected to make their decision early next week.
They will have to decide whether Gonzalez remains a danger to the public or has been rehabilitated enough for release.
Prop 57, written by Harris and passed by voters in November 2016, prevents even the most serious juvenile offenders from automatically facing charges as an adult without a full hearing in front of a judge.
Adrian 'AJ' Gonzalez was just 15 when he brutally choked and stabbed innocent Madyson Middleton after luring her into his mother's apartment with promises of ice cream. Now, 24, he could be released as early as next week
Prop 57, written by Kamala Harris and passed by voters in November 2016, prevents even the most serious juvenile offenders from automatically facing charges as an adult without a full hearing in front of a judge
A 2019 state senate bill called SB1391 extended that provision and banned anyone who committed a crime while aged 16 or under from being transferred into the adult system.
Since Gonzalez was just 15 when he murdered Madyson, he had to be tried in juvenile court and, as a result, is automatically eligible for parole when he turns 25.
Now horrified former neighbors have spoken to DailyMail.com and say they are living in fear of what could happen if he is released from the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall in Santa Rosa, California, where he is currently locked up.
Among them is Christine Marez, 51, a close friend of Madyson's mother Laura Jordan, who was one of the last people to see the little girl alive.
Jordan, who told DailyMail.com she is waiting for the decision before commenting on the case, still lives in the Tannery Arts Center complex. Madyson's devoted dad Michel unexpectedly passed away in December aged 49.
Marez's daughter June was Madyson's best friend and was playing with her on the day she died. She says Gonzalez should never be released.
She told DailyMail.com: 'I think that he will definitely kill again and be better at it because he's had all these years to sit and think about the things that he did wrong the first time.
Christine Marez, 51, a close friend of Madyson's mother Laura Jordan, told DailyMail.com says Gonzalez should never be released and he 'will definitely kill again'
Gonzalez's mother, Reggie Factor, 60, is seen for the first time while supporting Gonzalez at court, refused to comment on her son's bid for release when approached by DailyMail.com
'It seems to me that he'll just be better and more equipped to do more damage because he will also be bigger and stronger, making it easier to subdue people.'
Another former neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, told DailyMail.com: 'I am frightened at the thought because I think he might be given the benefit of the doubt.
'But he was obviously troubled and just the fact that he went and hid her body to me just seals it.
'I was of the impression then and still am, that he is not safe to be around. His issues are so serious. I know that his behavior wasn't perceived as normal.'
Although his release will not be confirmed until next week, Gonzalez is already being prepared for life on the outside with a court in Santa Cruz hearing details of his plans once back on the street.
The killer is in the final stages of a state-approved sex offender therapy course which includes preparing a plan to avoid a relapse and another containing his life goals.
Emma Ewelm, of the San Francisco Forensic Institute, is Gonzalez's therapist and said the course included a requirement to write letters to both his 15-year-old self and Madyson.
At an earlier hearing, the court heard that Gonzalez is planning to start a college course at San Francisco State University when he is released and has already scheduled a meeting with a youth rehabilitation organization for later this month to have his housing needs assessed.
Madyson's mother Laura Jordan told DailyMail.com she is waiting for the decision before commenting on the case. Madyson's dad Michel unexpectedly passed away in December aged 49
The killer is in the final stages of a state-approved sex offender therapy course which includes preparing a plan to avoid a relapse and another containing his life goals
Gabriel Singer, of Larkin Street Youth Services, said the convicted pedophile is likely to be handed free accommodation in either a shelter or a supported apartment complex when he is released.
Speaking for Gonzalez, who attended the hearing remotely and was seen slouched on a sofa while listening to the testimony, Chief Deputy Public Defender Athena Reis said he 'is not the same person today that he was in 2015.'
But prosecutor Tara George, who is attempting to block his release, described him as a danger who 'went from zero to 100 overnight' and cannot be trusted not to reoffend.
Marez says Madyson's mother wasn't informed that the hearing was happening until the last moment and told DailyMail.com Prop 57 and SB1391 should never have been applied to Gonzalez.
She said: 'What is the law for, except for to protect the public from dangers? This person is such a danger.
'So, I do think that the law is flawed. I understand that other people who do crimes at 15 and under can probably be rehabilitated, but there can't be just a blanket law that takes no account into specifics. It can't apply to just everyone.'
Her daughter, who joined a small protest outside court on Tuesday, has now launched a Change.org petition to keep Gonzalez locked up.
Neighbors spoken to by DailyMail.com say he was frequently left for days on end by his mother who would often leave him behind while visiting her family in her native Philippines.
A makeshift shrine remembering Madyson sprung up near her home within days of her murder
Both say Gonzalez is too dangerous to be released, with Marez painting a picture of a boy who was deeply troubled even before he murdered Madyson.
Neighbors spoken to by DailyMail.com say he was frequently left for days on end by his mother Reggie Factor, 60, who would often leave him behind while visiting her family in her native Philippines.
Factor, who is seen for the first time in exclusive DailyMail.com photos while supporting Gonzalez at court, refused to comment on her son's bid for release when approached by DailyMail.com.
Marez says she often saw a solo Gonzalez watching Madyson and her own daughter play and said he frequently volunteered to babysit, even getting himself a job as a camp counselor, in what she believes was a twisted bid to get close to children.
The 51-year-old also told DailyMail.com that some of Gonzalez's neighbors had had their panties mysteriously stolen in the months leading up to the killing, while his next-door neighbor said he would never make eye contact and rarely started a conversation.
On the day of Madyson's disappearance, Gonzalez put on a show of concern – even volunteering to join the search – which neighbors say they now believe was his way of making sure the coast was clear while he disposed of the little girl's body in the dumpster.
His arrest left the tight-knit community stunned and their anger has only grown after witnessing an extended legal battle over SB 1391 that meant it was 2021 by the time Gonzalez' trial was held.
Now all are hoping a jury overseen by Judge Denine Guy will decide to keep Gonzalez locked up for as long as possible while remembering the little girl whose life he stole.
Judge Guy had been due to make the decision on his release herself but decided to turn it over to a jury with the new trial scheduled to last at least a week.
'Maddie was just a firebrand,' said Marez. 'She was so energetic, full of life, just really so happy and joyful. A mischievous little imp.
'She knew everybody. She just loved everybody. She loved animals, she loved dogs. She just loved to play.'