Authorities say the 14-year-old is also an alleged sexual abuse victim whose father is accused of impregnating her and concealing her.
MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Authorities are searching for a 14-year-old girl and her father after arrest warrants were issued in an investigation into the death of the teenager’s newborn daughter, who was found beside a rural Monterey County road in August.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said a judge signed a murder warrant for the teenager and warrants for 38-year-old Sergio Galvez Perez on allegations including incest, child sexual abuse, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment. Investigators say Perez is the biological father of both the teenager and the newborn, whom authorities have called Baby Angelita. The allegations have not been adjudicated in court.
The newborn was discovered at about 8:30 a.m. Aug. 1 along the 100 block of Struve Road in north Monterey County. Firefighters, emergency medical workers and sheriff’s deputies responded after the infant was reported beside the roadway. Fire personnel pronounced the baby dead at the scene, and detectives began investigating how she died.
Investigators said evidence developed during the case indicated that the teenager gave birth along the roadside, placed the newborn on the ground and left the area. A postmortem forensic examination found signs of traumatic injury, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials have not publicly provided a more specific cause of death or detailed the injuries.
The teenager has not been publicly identified because she is a juvenile. Sheriff Tina Nieto has emphasized that authorities consider her both a suspect in the baby’s death and a child who was allegedly sexually abused. Investigators allege Perez impregnated his daughter, and authorities have said the girl was 13 when she became pregnant.
Detectives believe Perez is now concealing the teenager and preventing law enforcement from locating her. Nieto said investigators want to find the girl and get her to safety while also giving her an opportunity to provide her account of what happened. The sheriff’s office has warned that Perez should not be approached.
A third person, 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega, was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment during the investigation. Authorities have identified Ortega as the teenager’s biological mother. She was booked into the Monterey County Jail and later released after posting bail, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators initially had limited information about the infant’s death but traced a vehicle they believed was connected to the case. Authorities said automated license plate reader data helped detectives identify people associated with the vehicle and develop leads within 53 hours of Baby Angelita being found. The vehicle was later recovered.
The sheriff’s office continues to classify the case as an active murder investigation. Authorities are asking anyone who sees Perez to call 911 rather than confront him. Investigators also continue to seek information about the whereabouts of Perez and the 14-year-old girl as they work to determine the full circumstances surrounding Baby Angelita’s death.
Author note: Last updated Sep. 1, 2026.