Local
Investigators say evidence suggests car ran over newborn near Monterey County strawberry field
Authorities say a 14-year-old gave birth near a strawberry field on Aug. 1 and investigators believe a car later ran over the infant. The girl and her father, who is accused of sexually assaulting her, remain in Mexico; officials say they have no evidence linking him to the baby’s death.
Monterey County investigators believe a car driven by a 14-year-old girl may have run over her newborn after she gave birth beside a strawberry field where she worked, authorities said Thursday.
The infant, known publicly as “Baby Angelita,” was found dead Aug. 1 in an unincorporated area of the county. At a news conference, Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto, FBI representatives and other law enforcement officials described evidence they said indicated the baby had been moved from the apparent birth site to a spot beneath a vehicle.
Detective Richard Geng said investigators found a large bloodstain several feet from where the infant was discovered. Evidence at the scene suggested the sedan’s right front wheel had run over the baby, he said. License-plate reader records showed the vehicle arriving at and leaving the worksite that day, and investigators connected it to the girl’s parents.
Authorities believe the girl had concealed her pregnancy from her mother. They said her father, Sergio Galvez Perez, was not in the area when the infant died and was in the Bay Area. Officials said they have no evidence connecting him to the baby’s death.
The case took a major turn after authorities issued an Amber Alert on Sept. 6 for the girl and Galvez Perez. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said the pair were found in Mexico. Both remain there, and county authorities are working to extradite Galvez Perez. Officials did not say whether the girl would be extradited or charged.
Investigators said the girl initially told them another juvenile had impregnated her, but later determined that Galvez Perez was the father. She was taken to a hospital for care after giving birth, but authorities say he removed her on Aug. 4 and took her to Mexico. Prosecutors have filed charges against him related to the alleged sexual assault of his daughter.
The handling of the case drew public scrutiny after Sheriff Nieto initially said there was probable cause to arrest the teenager for murder, and the Sheriff’s Office first said the circumstances did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert. County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew and community members pushed back. The District Attorney’s Office subsequently said the girl had not been charged.
The girl’s mother, Ofelia Garcia Ortega, was arrested this week in Salinas. She is suspected of possessing or displaying a forged identification card, permitting a child to suffer or be endangered, and contributing to a minor’s delinquency. The allegations have not been adjudicated.