Student texts mom about suspicious car before found dead

A woman on her last day of a carpentry program at a California college texted her mother about a suspicious car in the campus parking lot before being found dead in a storage room hours later, authorities and family members said Tuesday. The 22-year-old student, identified by her family as Madison "Maddie" Baird, was scheduled to graduate from the six-month pre-apprenticeship program at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut on the same day. Her body was discovered around 10:30 a.m. in a locked storage unit near the woodshop where she had been working, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.

The campus, about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, has around 30,000 students and is set on 420 acres with multiple parking lots and isolated buildings. Police said they are reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses as part of a homicide investigation. Family members told reporters that Baird had been excited about completing the program, which prepares students for union-sponsored apprenticeships in the building trades. Carpentry schools like this one are increasingly popular as the construction industry faces a shortage of skilled workers, with enrollment up nearly 20% over the past five years, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Baird’s phone records show a 7:43 a.m. text to her mother saying, “There’s a weird blue car parked near my shop. It’s been here a while.” Her mother replied asking if she felt safe. Baird said she was fine but mentioned the car again in a follow-up message at 8:15 a.m. Police have not publicly identified a suspect or motive. The coroner’s office ruled her death a homicide but declined to release the cause, pending toxicology results. The family has established a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses, which has raised over $20,000 in 24 hours.

Investigators are focusing on whether the car was connected to the killing. Campus security logs show no prior reports of suspicious vehicles that morning, but students and faculty have raised concerns about inadequate lighting in the storage area during evening hours. The college has increased campus safety patrols in response. Baird’s death raises questions about security at vocational schools, which are growing in popularity but often lack the resources of traditional universities. Her family is calling for a thorough investigation and for stronger safety measures at Mt. San Antonio College and similar programs statewide.