2 reportedly on ‘meth binge’ arrested after teen found dead in forest

Two men said to be “on a multiday meth binge” were in custody Thursday in connection with the death of a teenage girl whose body was found in a stream in the Sierra National Forest.

The men were being held on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, officials said.

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office received a call about noon Monday from a stranded motorist who said he had run out of gas over the weekend and his group was without food or water.

When deputies later caught up with Scott Jacob Mason, 20, of Simi Valley and 18-year-old Jacob Patrick Banaga of Visalia they were told that 17-year-old Tara Shannon Maguire was missing.

Her body was found about six hours later near Rock Creek Campground by rescuers working in darkness, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

The campground is near Mammoth Pool Reservoir near the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Authorities said it is known for its jagged peaks, as well as numerous lakes and streams.

Mason and Banaga told authorities that they regularly smoke methamphetamine, officials said. They were arrested Tuesday morning.

“Both were reportedly on a multiday meth binge before Tara died,” according to the release. “The events leading up to her alleged disappearance and death remain under investigation.”

Maguire is reportedly from Simi Valley. Officials said in the news release that her death has been ruled suspicious and that the suspects’ meth use may be to blame.

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ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com