CA Teen Arrested After Body of Missing Girl Found:  A 15-year-old male neighbor was arrested after authorities discovered the remains of who they believe to be an 8-year-old Santa Cruz girl that disappeared on Sunday.  Fox News reports that Madyson Middleton was last seen on Sunday riding her scooter around the Tannery Arts Center, an artist community and housing center where she lived with her mother.  The suspected teen, who lives at the complex with his family, is described by neighbors as "polite and well-liked," and his relationship with Madyson is not yet clear.  The housing center is located in a busy area populated by businesses, and a major construction project is going on nearby.

Prison Worker Pleads Guilty to Aiding Escapees:  The former prison employee accused of helping two convicted murderers escape from a maximum security prison in upstate New York last month plead guilty to the charges on Tuesday.  Emily Shapiro of ABC News reports that 51-year-old Joyce Mitchell allegedly provided tools to two inmates serving life sentences, Richard Matt and David Sweat, by concealing them in hamburger meat.  A three-week manhunt, which began on June 6, ended with Matt fatally shot and Sweat shot and apprehended with non-fatal injuries.  Mitchell pleaded guilty to first-degree promoting criminal contraband and fourth-degree criminal facilitation, facing a sentence of 2 ½ to seven years.  She will be sentenced on September 28.  David Sweat's case for first-degree escape will go to a grand jury early next month.

Attacks by Homeless Increase in NYC:  Two recent violent attacks perpetrated by homeless persons in New York City have prompted City Hall and NYPD to urgently address homelessness in the city.  Arthur Chi'en of Fox 5 reports that one of the attacks involved a 72-year-old architect, who was stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors by a homeless woman while waiting on a street corner; the other victim was a tourist leaving his hotel, who was clubbed in the face by a homeless man.  The NYPD plans to put one-third of its officers through intensive training over the next year to deal with the homeless problem, but Police Commissioner Bratton says that handling this generally non-criminal crisis will be difficult because "we can't arrest out way out of this problem."

Man Killed by WV Escort Possible Serial Killer:  A man who was shot and killed by a West Virginia escort after he attacked and attempted to strangle her is being eyed as a possible serial murderer in three states.  Cristina Corbin of Fox News reports that 45-year-old Neal Falls knocked on the door of a Charleston, West Virginia prostitute on July 18, asked her "live or die?" when she answered, and attempted to assault her.  She shot and killed him with his handgun that he put down during the altercation.  Upon inspection of his vehicle after the crime, authorities say they discovered an arsenal of items that aroused suspicion that he could be responsible for the killings of sex workers in Nevada, Illinois and Ohio.  Falls has no known criminal history.  The FBI is assisting in the multi-state probe.

U.S. Spent Nearly 2 Billion Jailing Criminal Aliens:  A new study of state and federal data reveals that in fiscal year 2014, American taxpayers paid approximately $1.87 billion to incarcerate illegal immigrants, almost all of which was shouldered by the states.  Joel Gehrke of the National Review reports that 92 percent, or $1.71 billion, came from the states, while the other eight percent was paid for by federal-government reimbursements administered through the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP).  However, SCAAP's funds have declined in recent years, leading many state and local jurisdictions to opt out of the program, which causes the cost of holding inmates to rise.  This financial burden is also "exacerbated by policies designed to defy federal immigration status."