A quiet stretch of road in rural California became the site of a heartbreaking discovery on August 1. First responders pulled up to the 100 block of Struve Road near Moss Landing and found a newborn infant lying dead on the side of the dirt edge. Her umbilical cord was still attached, and her tiny body bore clear signs of physical trauma. Deputies with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office named her Baby Angelita, giving a identity to a child whose life ended just hours after it began.
What seemed like a tragic case of abandonment quickly turned into a far darker family nightmare. Detectives uncovered evidence that the child’s mother was a 14-year-old girl who gave birth right there along the roadway before leaving the scene. But the biggest shock came when investigators identified the newborn’s biological father. DNA and evidence pointed directly to the teenager’s own 38-year-old father, Sergio Galves Perez.
The young mother now sits at the center of a strange and complex criminal case. Investigators issued an arrest warrant for the 14-year-old girl on a murder charge for leaving her baby on the road. At the same time, authorities emphasize that she is a victim of severe domestic crime. Perez allegedly started sexually abusing and impregnating his daughter when she was only 13 years old, putting her in an impossible position between suspect and victim.
Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto made a direct plea to the public to help track down the missing teenager before anything else happens to her. Nieto voiced deep concern that the girl is in real danger while traveling with Perez across state or international lines. The sheriff pointed out that the 14-year-old child was betrayed by the person who was supposed to protect her most, and deputies need to hear her side of the story.
The investigation moved fast thanks to high-tech traffic surveillance set up in the county. Automated Flock license plate reader cameras spotted a vehicle linked to the family, allowing detectives to pinpoint suspects within 53 hours of finding the baby. Command staff noted that without those camera hits, identifying the vehicle and tracking the family down could have taken years or gone cold entirely.
Police also took action against the teenager’s 36-year-old mother, Ofelia Garcia Ortega. Authorities arrested Ortega on felony child endangerment charges after officers checked the family home in the Castroville and Salinas area. Inside, deputies found four other young children living in unsafe and unfit conditions, prompting child protective services to step in while Ortega was later released on bail.
As the search continues, Perez faces a long list of heavy felony charges including incest, child abuse, and child concealment. Investigators believe he may be hiding his daughter to keep her from talking to law enforcement. Anyone with details about where Perez or his daughter might be hiding is asked to call the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office right away to help get justice for Baby Angelita.
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