Prosecutors say the 14-year-old has not been charged in the infant death investigation and is a victim of alleged parental abuse.
SALINAS, Calif. — The rescue of a 14-year-old Monterey County girl in Mexico has shifted attention back to her legal status in a complicated investigation involving the death of her newborn and allegations that her father sexually abused and impregnated her.
Mexican authorities found the teenager safe and arrested her father, Sergio Galvez Perez, 38, during a rescue operation coordinated with the FBI and Monterey County investigators, the sheriff’s office said. The girl is now in the care of authorities in Mexico. Her recovery ends the immediate search for her but leaves major legal questions in California unresolved.
The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office has said the teenager is a victim of her father’s alleged abuse and that no criminal charges have been filed against her. Prosecutors issued that clarification in September after public attention focused on reports that law enforcement had obtained a warrant for the girl in connection with the death of her newborn.
The district attorney said investigators had obtained a Ramey warrant, a type of judicial arrest warrant that does not require advance review or approval by prosecutors. At the time of the district attorney’s statement, the office said it had not received a filing request or investigative reports seeking criminal charges against the teenager and had made no charging decision involving her.
That distinction became central to the case. Sheriff’s investigators had said they possessed evidence related to the infant’s death that could not be publicly released while the investigation remained active. Prosecutors, however, stressed that a law enforcement investigation and a prosecutor’s decision to file charges are separate steps and that the girl’s status as an alleged abuse victim had to be recognized.
The investigation began after a newborn was found dead along Struve Road in northern Monterey County on Aug. 1. Authorities later said the 14-year-old had given birth to the infant. Investigators have alleged that Galvez Perez, her biological father, was also the infant’s father. Authorities have referred to the newborn as “Baby Angelita.”
Prosecutors filed a child molestation charge against Galvez Perez before his arrest. Sheriff’s officials also have listed suspected offenses including incest, lewd or lascivious acts involving a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment. The allegations against him remain accusations unless proved in court.
The teenager and Galvez Perez had last been seen in the Salinas area on Aug. 4. An Amber Alert was later issued as investigators said finding the girl safely was their priority. A white Nissan Altima connected to the search was located in Monterey County in September, but investigators continued working with federal and international authorities to locate the pair.
The district attorney’s office said earlier that children subjected to abuse can face major barriers to seeking help, especially when they remain under the control or influence of an alleged abuser. Prosecutors said victim advocates and partner agencies were prepared to provide services once the teenager was located. Officials have not disclosed what specific services she is receiving following her rescue.
The infant death investigation remains separate from the criminal case already filed against Galvez Perez. Prosecutors have also said they were reviewing possible charges involving the teenager’s mother, but described that review as unrelated to both the infant’s death and the alleged sexual abuse by Galvez Perez. No final charging decision from that review has been publicly announced in the material available Monday.
Galvez Perez was arrested after Mexican authorities found him with narcotics during the rescue operation, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities have not disclosed where in Mexico the operation occurred or announced further details about his return to California. The sheriff’s office said it plans to hold a news conference as the investigation continues.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 5, 2026.