Monterey County man, teen daughter he impregnated wanted in killing of newborn: sheriff
Girl, 14, impregnated by father sought in slaying of newborn daughter
A 14-year-old girl is wanted for allegedly killing her newborn baby girl in Monterey County. Officials say the teen's father impregnated her.
MOSS LANDING, Calif. - Monterey County authorities are searching for a man and his 14-year-old daughter in connection to the remains of their newborn baby that were found along the side of the road near Moss Landing earlier this month.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office issued arrest warrants for a 14-year-old girl and 38-year-old Sergio Galvez Perez, accused of murder and child sex crimes, respectively. Galvez Perez is the teenage girl's father and the father of the slain newborn, authorities said.
‘Baby Angelita’ found on Aug. 1 near Moss Landing
What we know:
The teenager is wanted on suspicion of murder in the death of "Baby Angelita," who was found by sheriff's deputies on Aug. 1 along the 100 block of Struve Road.
Authorities believe the teen gave birth to the child along the side of the road and set the baby on the pavement before leaving the area.
Monterey County authorities believe Perez is now "concealing" the 14-year-old girl and is "preventing law enforcement from locating her."
"It is a horrific case. This is one of the most horrific cases that I've personally been made aware of," said Monterey County Sheriff's Office Cmdr. Andres Rosas.
Rosas says cases like this one, involving a child, take a toll on investigators.
"Anything that involves a child is going to be difficult for us to process. So it takes its toll on you when you're investigating this type of incident," she said.
Sergio Galvez Perez, 38, of Castroville and Salinas (Photo: Monterey County Sheriff's Department)
Man wanted on sex crime charges
Dig deeper:
Galvez Perez is wanted on six charges, including incest, child endangerment, child concealment and various child sex crimes.
The teenage girl is both a victim of incest and a murder suspect, the sheriff's department said.
"Unfortunately, two things can be true at the same time. You can be both a victim, and you can be a suspect," said Sheriff Tina Nieto.
Without elaborating, the sheriff said they have developed evidence pointing toward the teenage mother as the one who killed the baby.
"What I'd ask the public is that, you know, please, before you just make assumptions, there's a lot of investigation going on," the sheriff said. "We don't take a murder charge lightly."
In the days after the baby's remains were found, detectives were able to identify a car of interest, plus people associated with the car, with the help of Flock license plate cameras.
The teenage girl's mother, Ofelia Garcia Ortega, 36, who is Galvez Perez's wife, was arrested on a child endangerment charge. She posted bail and was released from custody, Monterey County authorities said.
"This is a tragic incident all around. Children are supposed to be able to run to their parents for protection, not run away," Rosas said.
Anyone with information tied to the murder investigation or the whereabouts of Perez or the 14-year-old girl is asked to contact sheriff's investigators at (831) 755-3773 or (831) 759-7279.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.