Mother re-arrested in 'Baby Angelita' case on new charges, including forged-ID counts
Detectives arrested 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega at the Salinas Superior Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. The district attorney filed two felony counts of displaying or possessing a forged identification card and two misdemeanors tied to her conduct with the 14-year-old at the center of the case.
Sheriff's detectives arrested the mother of the 14-year-old at the center of the "Baby Angelita" investigation on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 6, two days after the girl was found safe in Mexico and her father was taken into custody there.
Detectives arrested 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega around 2:45 p.m. at the Salinas Superior Courthouse, serving an arrest warrant, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
The district attorney filed charges against Garcia Ortega following an investigation into Baby Angelita's death and into her conduct with the teen, the sheriff's office said. Garcia Ortega faces two felony charges of displaying or possessing a forged identification card, a misdemeanor count of permitting a child to suffer or be endangered, and a misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
"Investigators determined Garcia Ortega allegedly put her daughter to work in agricultural fields at age 13 using falsified documentation, allowed her to drive without a license, and allowed her to remain completely out of school," the sheriff's office said, according to KION.
The sheriff's office said Garcia Ortega will be booked into the Monterey County Jail. She had been arrested once before, in August, and released after posting bail.
The arrest follows Sunday's announcement that the 14-year-old was rescued by Mexican law enforcement and her father, Sergio Galvez Perez, was arrested after he was found with narcotics in his possession. The teen remains in the care of Mexican authorities, and the investigation continues.
The newborn investigators call Baby Angelita was found dead on Aug. 1 along the 100 block of Struve Road in Moss Landing. The district attorney's office has not charged the 14-year-old with a crime. In a Sept. 2 statement, the office said: "We recognize that the 14-year-old is a victim of her father's abuse. No child should ever have to endure such horrific circumstances."
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