Prosecutors say the 14-year-old has not been charged, despite a sheriff’s murder-related arrest warrant issued during the investigation.
MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Monterey County authorities are searching for a 38-year-old man and his 14-year-old daughter after the teenager’s newborn was found dead beside a rural road, while prosecutors have stressed that no formal charging decision has been made against the girl.
The case began about 8:30 a.m. Aug. 1, when firefighters, emergency medical personnel and Monterey County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 100 block of Struve Road in northern Monterey County after a newborn was reported beside the roadway. Fire personnel confirmed the baby was dead. Investigators have since referred to the child as “Baby Angelita,” Spanish for “Baby Angel.” A postmortem examination found signs of traumatic injury, authorities said, but officials have not publicly released a more specific cause of death.
Sheriff’s investigators said evidence developed during the case indicated that a 14-year-old girl gave birth beside the road, placed the newborn on the ground and left the area. Authorities have not publicly identified the teenager because she is a minor. Sheriff Tina Nieto later announced that investigators determined Sergio Galvez Perez, 38, is the biological father of both the teenager and the newborn. Authorities allege that Perez sexually abused his daughter and impregnated her when she was 13.
The Sheriff’s Office announced Aug. 31 that investigators had developed probable cause and obtained arrest warrants signed by a Superior Court judge. The warrant involving the teenager cited California’s murder statute. Investigators also sought Perez at that stage on allegations including incest, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, lewd acts with a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment. Sheriff’s officials have said they believe Perez is concealing the teenager and preventing authorities from locating her.
The teenager’s legal status became a central issue after the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office issued a clarification Sept. 2. District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni’s office said prosecutors had not received a filing request seeking criminal charges against the girl and had not received investigative reports concerning her. The office therefore had not made a decision on whether the teenager should be charged in the newborn’s death.
The warrant obtained by sheriff’s investigators is known as a Ramey warrant. Prosecutors explained that law enforcement can seek such a warrant directly from a judge based on probable cause before a case is reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office. The district attorney said the warrant had not been reviewed or approved by prosecutors and emphasized that the final decision on whether criminal charges will be filed rests with the prosecutor’s office. A warrant authorizes an arrest but does not establish guilt.
Prosecutors have separately filed felony charges against Perez involving his alleged treatment of his daughter. A criminal complaint reported by KSBW charges him with a lewd act upon a child, incest and child abuse. The complaint alleges conduct beginning in November 2025 and continuing into 2026. Those filed charges do not accuse Perez of killing the newborn. Perez is presumed innocent of the filed charges unless proven guilty in court.
The District Attorney’s Office has also emphasized that it considers the 14-year-old a victim of alleged abuse by her father. Prosecutors said children under the control or influence of an abuser can face serious barriers to reaching safety and said their priority is to ensure the teenager is safe and has access to support if she is located. The unusual circumstances have led prosecutors to publicly distinguish the girl’s status as an alleged abuse victim from the separate investigation into her newborn’s death.
Investigators said automated license plate reader cameras helped detectives develop leads soon after Baby Angelita was found. The Sheriff’s Office said information from the Flock camera system was used to identify and track a vehicle of interest. Detectives combined that information with traditional investigative work and said they were able to identify people associated with the vehicle and develop additional leads within 53 hours of the newborn’s discovery.
Authorities also arrested Ofelia Garcia Ortega, 36, whom the sheriff identified as the teenager’s biological mother, on suspicion of child endangerment. She was booked into the Monterey County Jail, later posted bail and was released. The District Attorney’s Office said it is reviewing possible charges involving Ortega but stressed that any potential charges under review are unrelated to the newborn’s death and unrelated to Perez’s alleged sexual abuse of the teenager. No final charging decision involving Ortega had been publicly announced.
As of Sept. 5, the latest public reports reviewed did not indicate that Perez or the 14-year-old had been located. The investigation into Baby Angelita’s death remains active, while prosecutors say any future charging decision involving the teenager will depend on evidence formally presented to their office. Authorities have continued efforts to locate the girl and Perez as the separate criminal case against him proceeds.
Author note: Last updated September 5, 2026.