Monterey County investigators say vehicle data helped identify people connected to the case within 53 hours of the baby’s discovery.
MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Automated license plate cameras played a key role in a Monterey County investigation that led authorities to identify three suspects after a newborn girl was found dead along a rural road, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said information from the Flock automated license plate reader system helped them track a vehicle of interest after Baby Angelita was found Aug. 1 along Struve Road. Within 53 hours, detectives combined the camera information with traditional investigative work to identify people associated with the vehicle and develop additional leads, the sheriff’s office said. Arrest warrants were announced Aug. 31.
The investigation began at about 8:30 a.m. Aug. 1, when firefighters, emergency medical personnel and sheriff’s deputies responded to the 100 block of Struve Road in north Monterey County after receiving a report of a newborn beside the roadway. Fire personnel determined that the infant was dead.
Authorities said detectives later developed evidence indicating that a 14-year-old girl had given birth beside the road, placed the newborn on the ground and left. A postmortem forensic examination found signs of traumatic injury, according to investigators. Officials have not released a detailed description of those injuries or a more specific cause of death.
The teenager is now the subject of an arrest warrant on suspicion of murder. Because she is a juvenile, authorities have not released her name. Sheriff Tina Nieto has also described the girl as an alleged victim of sexual abuse, underscoring what authorities say are two distinct parts of the investigation: the death of Baby Angelita and alleged crimes against the teenager.
Authorities identified the girl’s father as 38-year-old Sergio Galvez Perez. Investigators say Perez is also the biological father of Baby Angelita. A judge issued warrants accusing him of incest, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, lewd acts with a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment. Those allegations remain pending and have not been proven in court.
Detectives believe Perez is concealing his daughter and preventing investigators from finding her. The sheriff’s office released additional photographs of Perez on Aug. 31, saying he has performed with a musical group and may be recognizable from public appearances. Authorities have instructed anyone who sees him not to approach him and instead contact law enforcement.
Investigators also arrested 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega, identified by authorities as the teenager’s mother, on suspicion of felony child endangerment. She was booked into the Monterey County Jail before posting bail and being released. Authorities have not announced a final resolution of the allegation against her.
The vehicle investigation was an early turning point. Authorities said license plate reader information helped detectives identify and track a vehicle linked to the case when they initially had little information about who may have been involved. Investigators subsequently recovered a beige 2010 Mercury Milan that had been sought during the investigation.
The case remains an active murder investigation, and Perez and the teenager remained sought by authorities as of Tuesday. Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances of Baby Angelita’s death while attempting to locate the teenager and determine the full sequence of events surrounding the roadside birth and the infant’s death.
Author note: Last updated Sep. 1, 2026.