Teen found safe in Mexico; father arrested in 'Baby Angelita' infant-death case

A 14-year-old girl whose infant was found dead in Moss Landing in August was recovered safely in Mexico over the weekend, and her father was arrested, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office announced Sunday, Oct. 4.

Mexican authorities located the teenager and took her father, 38-year-old Sergio Galvez Perez, into custody during the rescue operation, Sheriff Tina Nieto said. The teenager is safe and in the care of Mexican authorities, and Galvez Perez was found in possession of narcotics when he was arrested.

An aerial view of Moss Landing, with Elkhorn Slough running inland and the Moss Landing Power Plant at center. After investigators believed the girl's father had taken her to Mexico, the Sheriff's Office, the FBI and Mexican authorities worked together on the case.

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The case drew widespread attention after a baby girl was found dead Aug. 1 on the 100 block of Struve Road in Moss Landing. Authorities named her "Baby Angelita." Investigators later determined the infant was the child of the 14-year-old and Galvez Perez. Galvez Perez faces charges including incest, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, lewd acts with a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment. Authorities believed he had taken the teenager to Mexico, prompting an investigation involving the Sheriff's Office, the FBI and Mexican authorities.

On Aug. 31, the Sheriff's Office obtained an arrest warrant for the 14-year-old on suspicion of murder, saying evidence showed she had allegedly given birth to the infant and left it on the road. The infant had signs of traumatic injury. But the District Attorney's office has not charged the teenager. "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," the DA's office said in a Sept. 2 statement.

The Monterey County Courthouse in Salinas. The District Attorney's office has charged Sergio Galvez Perez with sexually assaulting the teenager and has charged her mother, Ofelia Garcia Ortega, with child endangerment, but has not charged the 14-year-old with a crime.

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The DA's office has charged the teenager's mother, 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega, with child endangerment. She was arrested in August and released after posting bail. All are residents of the Castroville and Salinas area.

The Sheriff's Office issued an Amber Alert for the teenager on Sept. 8, saying she had last been seen Aug. 4 around 2 a.m. in Salinas. Nieto said the office would hold a press conference at a later date, and that the investigation remains active. The Sheriff's Office has not said whether there are immediate plans to extradite Galvez Perez to Monterey County.