A 14-year-old California mother is being sought alongside her biological father after her newborn baby was found dead beside a rural road, authorities said.
Detectives identified the teenager as Diana Galvez Ortega, 14, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
On August 1, 2026, at approximately 8:30 a.m., deputies and emergency personnel responded to the 100 block of Struve Road near Moss Landing, California, police said.
Emergency responders arrived to find a newborn baby girl unresponsive alongside the roadway, authorities said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to investigators.
Detectives later referred to the deceased child as “Baby Angelita,” police said.
The infant’s umbilical cord remained attached when she was discovered alongside the road, according to authorities. A subsequent postmortem examination revealed evidence of traumatic injuries, investigators said.
Officials have not publicly disclosed the exact nature of those injuries or the infant’s precise cause of death, police said.
Investigators allege Diana had given birth along the roadside, placed the newborn infant on the ground and fled the area, according to the sheriff’s office.
The probe also led law enforcement to 38-year-old Sergio Galvez Perez, the teenager’s biological father, authorities said.
Detectives allege the father sexually abused and impregnated Diana when she was 13 years old, according to officials.
DNA testing later established that Galvez Perez was also the biological father of Baby Angelita, authorities said.
The father has been accused of offenses including incest, lewd or lascivious acts involving a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment, police said.
During the investigation, deputies also arrested Diana’s mother, 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega, on suspicion of felony child endangerment, according to authorities. Garcia Ortega was later released after posting bail, records show.
Investigators alleged the mother failed to obtain medical treatment for Diana despite circumstances that should have caused a reasonable parent to seek care, police said.
Detectives also discovered four other children living at the family residence under conditions that authorities considered unsafe, according to officials.
Investigators utilized automated license plate reader data and other police techniques to identify vehicles and persons connected to the case, authorities said.
Deputies eventually recovered a beige 2010 Mercury Milan associated with the family, according to officials.
On August 4, 2026, at approximately 2 a.m., Diana and Galvez Perez were last seen in Salinas, California, police said.
Investigators said the father was actively concealing Diana and preventing law enforcement from locating her, according to the sheriff’s office.
On August 31, 2026, detectives announced they had obtained a Ramey arrest warrant for Diana on suspicion of murder in connection with the infant’s death, police said. A Ramey warrant allows law enforcement to make an arrest after a judge finds probable cause before prosecutors formally file criminal charges, authorities noted.
The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office later clarified that Diana has not been formally charged with murder, adding that prosecutors have not yet made a charging decision. Prosecutors emphasized that Diana is considered a victim of her father’s alleged sexual abuse, according to officials.
The district attorney’s office stated its priority was locating Diana, getting her to safety and providing victim services, prosecutors said.
Authorities have not publicly stated whether the teenager is traveling with her father willingly, under his influence or against her will, police said.
On September 6, 2026, the California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Diana on behalf of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, officials said.
Authorities said the teenager may be traveling with Galvez Perez in a white Nissan Altima bearing no license plates, police said.
Diana is described as 4 feet 10 inches tall and approximately 100 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, according to authorities. Galvez Perez is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and approximately 170 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, investigators said.
Officials have not publicly explained why the Amber Alert was issued more than a month after Diana was last seen, police said.
No formal charges have been filed against the teenager as the investigation remains ongoing and authorities continue their search for the pair, police said.
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