Man, 14-year-old girl sought after newborn found dead on Calif. roadside

A 38-year-old man accused of sexually abusing and impregnating his 14-year-old daughter is wanted after her newborn baby was found dead beside aMonterey County road.

Read more Devers hits his 30th homer as the Giants snap the Braves’ 7-game streak

Despite her being the apparent victim of incest and sexual assault, the unnamed teenage girl is wanted on suspicion of killing the baby investigators say she delivered beside Struve Road.

A search is now underway for Sergio Galvez Perez and his 14-year-old daughter.

“We can now confirm that Sergio Galvez Perez is the biological father of the 14-year-old murder suspect and the biological father of Baby Angelita,” Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said at a news conference on Monday afternoon.

The extraordinary developments were announced by the sheriff’s office nearly a month after the newborn was discovered in a rural area north of Moss Landing. A postmortem examination found that the baby, whom investigators are calling “Baby Angelita,” had suffered traumatic injuries.

Detectives obtained arrest warrants for the teenager and Perez, a resident of the Castroville and Salinas area, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities believe Perez is concealing the girl and preventing investigators from locating her. The department warned members of the public not to approach him and to call 911 if they see him.

Perez is wanted on suspicion of incest, committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, committing lewd acts with a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment. California law generally shields juvenile court proceedings from public view, and the sheriff’s office did not release the 14-year-old girl’s name.

Nieto described the teenager as both a child facing serious allegations in the death of her baby and a victim of her father.

“At the center of this is two children,” Nieto said, referring to Baby Angelita and the 14-year-old. The teenager, she added, “is also a victim because of the sexual abuse by her own father.”

A third person, the teenager’s mother, has been arrested and released on bail on suspicion of child endangerment. 

Baby Angelita was discovered at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 beside the 100 block of Struve Road. Firefighters, emergency medical workers and sheriff’s deputies responded after someone reported finding the infant along the roadway. Fire personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.

Read more Calif. man accused of killing mother, brother with shotgun pleads insanity

Detectives now say their investigation produced evidence that the 14-year-old gave birth beside the road, placed the newborn on the ground and then left the area. A postmortem forensic examination found signs of injury, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials did not describe those injuries or disclose a more specific cause of death.

The investigation initially centered on a beige 2010 Mercury Milan that authorities believed was connected to the case. Detectives released photographs of the sedan, bearing California license plate 6HCR883, and asked anyone who saw it in northern Monterey County or Salinas to come forward. The vehicle was subsequently located and recovered.

The sheriff’s office said Monday that Flock automated license plate reader cameras had led investigators to the Mercury and helped them identify people associated with it. Within 53 hours of Baby Angelita’s discovery, detectives located suspects connected to the case, authorities said.

The case arrives amid a larger moment for Flock’s rapidly expanding camera network. Police departments have praised the technology for helping them trace vehicles and solve serious crimes, while privacy advocates have raised concerns about the scale of the surveillance, the sharing and retention of vehicle-location data, and who may ultimately be able to search it.

“This case demonstrates the value of that investment,” Nieto said of the technology in a news release. “Most importantly, we cannot lose sight of Baby Angelita, an innocent child whose life was tragically lost. We remain committed to seeking justice on her behalf.”

The sheriff’s office described the case as an active murder investigation and said detectives are continuing to search for Perez and the teenager.

“We need to find this 14-year-old child,” Nieto said at the news conference. “We need Sergio Galvez Perez to stop hiding and face the charges against him.”

Anyone who sees Perez is asked to call 911 immediately and not attempt to confront him. Anyone with information about the investigation or the whereabouts of Perez or the 14-year-old may contact Detective Sgt. Nicholas Kennedy at 831-755-3773.

This breaking news story has been updated.