Authorities have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the death of an 8-year-old girl missing since Sunday whose body was discovered in a dumpster at a residential complex in Santa Cruz, California, police said.
The girl, Madyson Middleton, was last seen riding a scooter at the Tannery Arts Center, which offers affordable housing to artists, Santa Cruz police said.
"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," Santa Cruz police chief Kevin Vogel told reporters Monday night.
The coroner's office is due to confirm the identity of the body discovered on Monday evening, but Vogel said it appeared to be Middleton.
The 15-year-old boy was arrested at the complex, police said in a statement. His name was not released and police did not say what led to his arrest. Local television station KSBW showed video of the teenager being led away in handcuffs.
Police had used dogs in the search for Middleton in Santa Cruz, an oceanside community about 60 miles (97 km) south of San Francisco, and local residents also canvassed the area where she was last seen.
© 2026 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.