SANTA CRUZ - Police said they have found the body of a young girl at the Tannery Arts Center where she was last seen riding her scooter late Sunday afternoon.

Madyson Middleton’s body was discovered inside of a dumpster at the mixed use complex by one of the department’s detectives Monday night. Police are not sure how long the body was inside the dumpster.

“At approximately 7:55 p.m., and this is extraordinarily heartbreaking news that I’m about to give to you, our detectives discovered the body of a young female inside of a dumpster at the complex located behind me,” said Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel.

“Although we have not positively identified her yet, we believe that she is probably Madyson Middleton,” said Vogel.
A 15-year-old boy who was at the complex while crews searched for Middleton, was arrested around the same time the girl’s body was found, according to Vogel.

The suspect and Middleton were neighbors at the Tannery Arts complex, which is part housing and studio space for artists.

The unidentified suspect is being held at the Santa Cruz Police Department as part of a homicide investigation, said Vogel.

It’s unclear what led police to the teenager.

The 8-year-old girl was last seen at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday riding her white Razor Scooter in the housing complex known as the Tannery located at 1030 River St., about two miles from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. (Source: KRON TV)

Story Date: July 30, 2015