MONTEREY, CA — A missing 14-year-old girl from Monterey County has been found safe by Mexican authorities, and her father has been arrested in connection with a deeply troubling case that began with the death of a newborn on a roadside in August.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office says the girl is believed to be the mother of the infant known as “Baby Angelita.” Investigators have also identified her father, Sergio Galvez Perez, as the newborn’s father. He now faces incest and child sex charges in Monterey County.
Authorities say the teen is now in the care of local officials in Mexico. The case has drawn support from multiple agencies, including the FBI and Mexican authorities, as detectives worked to locate the girl and move the investigation forward.
How investigators connected the missing teen to the newborn found in August
The case centers on a baby girl discovered dead on the side of a road in August in Monterey County. During the search that followed, detectives tried to identify the infant and determine what happened to her before she was found.
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators came to believe the missing 14-year-old was the baby’s mother. That connection became a key part of the case and helped shape the continuing criminal investigation.
Officials have not publicly detailed every step that led them to that conclusion, but they have said the evidence links the girl, the baby, and Galvez Perez within the same family tragedy. The baby’s nickname, “Baby Angelita,” has become the name widely used for the infant in public updates.
Sergio Galvez Perez was taken into custody during the rescue operation
The sheriff’s office says Galvez Perez was arrested during the operation that led to the teen’s recovery. Mexican authorities detained him after finding him in possession of narcotics, according to the statement from Monterey County investigators.
Officials said Mexican authorities were already aware of the Monterey County charges waiting against him. That cooperation allowed the rescue effort and the arrest to move forward at the same time.
Monterey County detectives described the work as closely coordinated with federal and international partners. The arrest adds a major development to a case that has been moving across borders as authorities tried to protect the girl and hold the adult suspect accountable.
The girl was last seen with her father in Salinas on Aug. 4
Officials said the teen and Galvez Perez were last seen together in Salinas on Aug. 4. After that, the girl was reported missing, setting off a search that eventually reached Mexican authorities.
That timeline placed the pair together shortly before investigators say the newborn linked to the family was found dead. It also helped police and federal agents build a clearer picture of where the girl may have gone and who she may have been with.
The sheriff’s office has said the teen is safe now. Even so, the case remains under active investigation as authorities piece together the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death and the events that followed the disappearance.
Why the case drew a multi-agency response across the border
Monterey County officials say the investigation required help from the FBI and Mexican authorities, reflecting both the seriousness of the allegations and the difficulty of tracking a missing child across jurisdictions.
Cases involving vulnerable minors can quickly become complex when there is uncertainty about where a person has traveled or who may be helping them. In this instance, detectives needed to work with agencies outside the county and outside the United States to find the teen.
The sheriff’s office statement suggests the international coordination was essential to locating the girl and to arresting Galvez Perez. Officials have emphasized that the teenager is now safe and under local care in Mexico.
What charges are pending and what investigators plan to release next
Galvez Perez faces incest and child sex charges in Monterey County, according to the sheriff’s office. Those allegations are tied to the broader investigation surrounding the missing girl and the dead newborn.
Officials have not yet said whether additional charges could be filed. They also have not provided a full public account of the evidence they have gathered, leaving some parts of the case still to be explained.
The sheriff’s office said a press conference will be scheduled later, when investigators expect to share more information. For now, authorities are focusing on the girl’s safety and the ongoing criminal case surrounding her father.
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