Mother arrested in Union City cold case of baby found in dumpster
Angela Onduto, 46, was arrested in the cold case of her infant found in a dumpster behind an apartment complex in Union City in 2009.
UNION CITY, Calif. - A cold case involving a newborn baby girl found dead in a dumpster behind a Union City apartment building has been solved after 16 years, police said.
Mother suspected of killing newborn
What we know:
The Union City Police Department announced the arrest of 46-year-old Angela Onduto of Denver, Colorado, in the 2009 case.
Onduto is the biological mother of the infant, authorities said.
The baby was discovered on May 18, 2009, by a man searching for recyclables at the Parkside Apartments on Decoto Road.
An autopsy determined the infant died by drowning and had been in the dumpster for less than 24 hours, authorities said. The girl, originally listed as a baby Jane Doe, was later given the name Matea Esperanza by police.
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Though the case remained open and active, it eventually went cold. However, investigators recently identified the child’s parents using advanced DNA testing and forensic evidence sent to Othram Laboratories, a Texas-based forensic lab.
The child's mother was identified as Onduto.
In May 2025, around what would have been Matea’s 16th birthday, detectives traveled to Denver and arrested Onduto.
Mom is awaiting extradition
What's next:
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has since charged her with murder.
She remains in custody in Colorado and awaits extradition to the Bay Area.
"The UCPD expresses deep gratitude that justice is progressing in Matea’s case after 16 years," the police department said. "Matea’s memory continues to resonate within Union City."
Added, Kristen Mittelman, of Othram, "The baby's mother will have to answer for what happened, but now the community knows who this little girl was."
The Source: Union City Police Department