TURLOCK -- The girl found dead Friday in Pedretti Park was a 16-year-old Pitman High School student. Her cause of death remains unknown, Police Chief Gary Hampton said Monday.
Police refused to release her name, but they could not stop what was happening at popular teenage hangouts and on the Internet, where many have identified the girl as Julia Gonzales.
A Monday autopsy showed no signs of violence, trauma or sexual assault; it will take a toxicology report to determine exactly what happened, Hampton said.
Several Turlock High School students at the city's skate park, just behind the police station, openly spoke of the dead teenager as Gonzales, but police refused to comment on specifics in front of television cameras on the department's front steps.
"At this point, we're still being very guarded because the autopsy couldn't pinpoint the cause of death," Hampton said. "If those reports come back that she ingested and consumed an illegal substance -- and at her age that would include alcohol -- don't you think we're going to pursue it further to find out where she got it?"
Hampton said Thursday night's cold weather may have played a role in the girl's death, too. The case is being treated as a death investigation, which could uncover homicidal, suicidal or accidental causes, he said, and the release of information needs to proceed along the strictest lines.
But that hasn't stopped Web chatter. Since Saturday afternoon, Internet tributes have been collecting on Gonzales' MySpace page.
"wats all this stuff im hearin about??? im jus waiting for the reply to this message tellin me its not true!!!" wrote one friend.
"R.I.P. u will always be in are hearts," another friend wrote. "i love u babygurl. rest in peace."
Remembered with roses
Four passers-by found the body at 4:56 a.m. Friday across the street from the Costco store in Monte Vista Crossings shopping center, in some grass between a large park-and-ride lot and Field 5 of Pedretti Park.
On Monday, just off the sidewalk, in a cove of three young pine trees, three bouquets of pink and white roses marked the spot where the body was found. Torn spiral notebook papers lay next to the flowers. "Murder of God's Children," "She Had a Right to Live," "Murderers 'Need to die' " were written with a thick black marker. Another said whoever was responsible "can't escape fire in hell."
The girl lived with her grandmother about three miles from Pedretti Park, Turlock Police Sgt. Steve Williams said. She had been reported as a runaway at least twice, but she left the house peaceably Thursday night.
She said goodbye to her grandmother about 7 p.m. and left with three friends, he said. What happened between 7 p.m. at 5 a.m. the next day, police won't say, other than that the friends have been cooperative.
"There was no blood, no signs of trauma or any violence, no signs of robbery," Williams said. "What we need is a cause of death. That's what we're waiting on."
Chief Deputy Coroner Kristi Herr described the girl last week as 5 feet 4 inches tall, 120 to 130 pounds with medium-length brown hair and brown eyes. Herr said the girl wore no jewelry, had no tattoos and appeared well-cared for.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Brandon Bertram at 668-5550, ext. 6623.
Bee staff writer Michael R. Shea can be reached at mshea@modbee.com
or 578-2391.
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