CLAUDIA LUCERNO - 14 yo - / Arrested: Mother's ex boyfriend, Alex Madrid - Mesa, AZ

Family wants answers in death of girl found in Dumpster


Posted: Dec 06, 2013 12:23 PM EST Updated: Dec 10, 2013 8:26 PM EST


By Steve Stout -
Posted by Phil Benson -
By Greg Argos -

Mesa police have identified the body found in a Dumpster early Friday morning as a 14-year-old Mesa girl.


Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at the scene for a candlelight vigil in honor of Claudia.
A police spokeswoman called the death "suspicious" and said the body was found at the Sun Gardens Apartments at 860 E. Brown Road.

A resident of the complex said she heard shouting about 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

Shortly after, two girls ran upstairs and knocked on her door asking to use her phone to call police because they said there was a body in a Dumpster, she said.

Monday afternoon, CBS 5 News spoke with Claudia's brother and cousins about how the family is dealing with her death.

"We want answers," said Ricky Lucero, her older brother.

"That's my sister. For them to throw her in the trash like that just tells me my sister was trash, and she wasn't trash. She wasn't trash at all," he continued.

The family gathered at a relative's house, praying and crying over their loss. 

"I just miss all her smiling," said Lupe Lucero, the victim's cousin. She described the 14-year-old as a bubbly teen who loved fashion and makeup.

Mesa police are not releasing any other information until Tuesday at the earliest.

A spokesperson for the department would not explicitly say the murder was an isolated incident, but he did say there is no reason to believe others are in danger.

Landato said anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377).

http://www.kpho.com/story/24155033/mesa-police-id-girl-whose-body-was-found-in-dumpster

Mesa PD: Arrest made in murder of teen found in dumpster


Posted: Dec 10, 2013 5:51 PM EST Updated: Dec 11, 2013 11:05 AM EST
By Phil Benson
By Rebecca Thomas



Claudia Ann Lucero

Madrid's most recent booking photo.
(Source: Mesa Police Department)

Memorial at the site where the girl's body was found.
(Source: CBS 5 News)

Alex Madrid
(Source: Arizona Department of Corrections)

MESA, AZ (CBS5) -

Mesa police have announced they've made an arrest in the murder of a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in an apartment dumpster early last Friday morning.

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Mesa police have identified the body found in a Dumpster early Friday morning as a 14-year-old Mesa girl.
[*]
Police said Claudia Ann Lucero was last seen at her Mesa home about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, said Mesa police Sgt. Tony Landato. No arrests have been made, he said.

Mesa Police Chief  Frank Milstead also said at a news conference Tuesday that Claudia Ann Lucero was sexually assaulted and died by strangulation.
[*]
Alex Madrid, 31, of Mesa, a convicted felon and the ex-boyfriend of Claudia's mother, was taken into custody in connection with the death, Milstead said. "He had lived at the home at times and during the past week had been estranged from the family," Milstead said. 
[*]
Madrid has an extensive history of violent crimes and had served prison time in Arizona.
[*]
Milstead said Claudia Ann Lucero was apparently afraid of Madrid who, in the past, had allegedly touched her inappropriately. 
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"She had told her friends at school that she was frightened of him and was afraid but not that he might murder her," Milstead said.
Police initially arrested Madrid on charges unrelated to Claudia's murder. 
[*]
Madrid was found in his vehicle Friday around 7 p.m. by an undercover officer at Rio Salado Street and North Alma School Road, according to a probable cause statement. Police had received information that Madrid was wanted on a probation violation.
[*]
The officer noticed Madrid had committed a traffic violation after the suspect turned northbound on Alma School Road. After the officer activated his lights and siren, Madrid did not stop but sped up, the court document stated. 
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An undercover officer was able to get in front of Madrid's vehicle to slow him down while the second officer applied a pit maneuver to bring the vehicle to a stop. 
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Madrid climbed out of the vehicle, ran across the street and attempted to jump over a fence, court paperwork stated. Officers caught him, but Madrid put up a struggle, according to the probable cause statement. Police were finally able to place him in handcuffs. 
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Police were able to link Madrid to the teen's death through DNA evidence, Milstead said. "There was biological evidence left behind."
[*]
Madrid has been booked into jail on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, child abuse, sexual abuse, concealment of a dead body and tampering with physical evidence. 
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He is being held without bail.
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"As a father of a high-school aged daughter, I cannot possibly imagine or conceive the feelings of the Lucero family today," Milstead said.
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He said the motive for the killing is not yet known and Madrid is not cooperating with police. 
[*]
Claudia was last seen at her Mesa home around 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 5. Her body was found at the Sun Gardens Apartments at 860 E. Brown Rd. by two women going through the trash container looking for things to recycle just after midnight on Nov. 6, a Friday. They called police and officers responded.
[*]
Monday afternoon, CBS 5 News spoke with Claudia's brother and cousins about how the family is dealing with her death.

"We want answers," said Ricky Lucero, her older brother.

"That's my sister. For them to throw her in the trash like that just tells me my sister was trash, and she wasn't trash. She wasn't trash at all," he continued.

The family gathered at a relative's house, praying and crying over their loss.

"I just miss all her smiling," said Lupe Lucero, the victim's cousin. She described the 14-year-old as a bubbly teen who loved fashion and makeup. 
[*]
Monday evening, about 100 people gathered for a candelight vigil near the dumpster where Claudia was found.
[*]
Another group of mourners visited the memorial Tuesday night - after Madrid's arrest had been announced.
[*]
Milstead called Claudia's murder "an incredible tragedy" for the community.
[*]
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate the family in this incredible hour of tragedy to provide us with as much information as they possibly could to not only identify the suspect, take him into custody and bring charges against him to insure this doesn't happen to another member of our community," Milstead said.
[*]
A Wells Fargo account has been set up in Claudia Lucero's name for those wishing to help the family. The account number is: 2762682439.  

Mesa police Sgt. Tony Landato said anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377).




http://www.kpho.com/story/24186489/pd-arrest-made-in-mesa-dumpster-death

He looks evil.  Why do women bring criminals into their homes and expose their children to them?  This is the result of a poor choice on the mother's part.

He doesn't sound like an ex to me, but a current boyfriend.

Suspect arrested after teen’s body found in trash bin


By Katherine Cavazini
updated 2:13 PM EST, Fri December 13, 2013

• Claudia Lucero, 14, was last seen December 5 before she left for school
  
• Women sifting through trash found her body the next day in Dumpster
  
• Alex Madrid, the estranged boyfriend of Lucero’s mother, was arrested on murder charges
  

Claudia Lucero, 14, was sexually assaulted and strangled, police said. 

A suspect has been arrested in the murder of a 14-year-old Mesa, Arizona, girl who was sexually assaulted, strangled and dumped in a trash container, police announced Tuesday.

Alex Anthony Madrid, 31, is being held without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual conduct with a minor, molestation, child abuse, sexual abuse, abandonment/concealment of a dead body and tampering with physical evidence, according to a Mesa police news release.

The body of 14-year-old Westwood High School student Claudia Ann Lucero was found Friday around 12:30 a.m. by two women sifting through a Dumpster for recyclables at the Sun Garden apartments.

Lucero was last seen the previous morning around 6:30 a.m. at her home in Mesa before she left to school, but police say she never made it. Her mother reported her missing later that night.


The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office positively identified the body Friday morning. Mesa Police Chief Frank Milstead said at a news conference Tuesday that Lucero was sexually assaulted and died by strangulation.

Madrid, a recently estranged boyfriend of Lucero’s mother, was identified as a person of interest early in the investigation, according to Milstead. Authorities said Madrid had previously lived at the Lucero home, but over the past weeks he was estranged from the family.

"It was known to detectives that Claudia was afraid of Alex. He had inappropriately touched her, on occasion,” Milstead said at the news conference.

Mesa detectives subsequently learned of open charges for a probation violation on Madrid, and within hours of identifying Lucero’s body, they were able to locate and arrest him on that charge after a short vehicle chase.

Milstead said police were able to link Madrid to Lucero’s death through DNA evidence. There was also a gray-colored rug found in the same Dumpster that authorities say matches the interior of Madrid’s trunk, according to police.

"There was biological evidence left behind,” Milstead said.

Madrid, a construction worker, was charged with Lucero’s death Tuesday following police questioning where he invoked his rights.
“The case involving Claudia Lucero was a case that you cannot compartmentalize, you cannot shelter your emotion, there is no way for us to possibly find any reason for the nature of this crime and for any of us to deal with it rationally,” Milstead said.

Milstead added a motive for the killing is not yet known, and he hopes Maricopa County prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

“It is a tragedy. I want to ensure everyone out there that this is an isolated incident based on this one suspect and this victim,” Milstead said.

Madrid doesn’t have an attorney yet, and police say he refused to talk to detectives about the case.

"We want answers," Ricky Lucero, the victim’s older brother told CBS News 5 Monday. "That's my sister. For them to throw her in the trash like that just tells me my sister was trash, and she wasn't trash. She wasn't trash at all.”


http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/12/13/claudia-lucero-murder-dumpster-arrest-alex-madrid-mesa

"It was known to detectives that Claudia was afraid of Alex. He had inappropriately touched her, on occasion,” Milstead said at the news conference.

Too bad the mother didn't have the instincts of the murdered girl. 

Too bad she didn't listen to her.