A 14-year-old Monterey County girl who disappeared during an infant-death investigation has been safely rescued in Mexico, while her biological father was arrested on drug and child abuse charges after a multi-agency manhunt spanning two countries, authorities said Sunday.
Authorities Arrest Father and Rescue Teenager in Mexico
The multi-week search ended in Mexico when law enforcement located 14-year-old Diana Galvez Ortega alongside her 38-year-old father, Sergio Galvez Perez. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced the breakthrough on Sunday, confirming that detectives had worked alongside the FBI and Mexican authorities to secure the teenager’s safe recovery. Officers took Galvez Perez into custody after discovering him in possession of narcotics. The sheriff’s office noted that Mexican authorities are aware of the active warrants waiting for him back in California.
“Monterey County Sheriff’s Office detectives have worked closely with the FBI and Mexican authorities to secure Diana’s safe rescue. During the rescue operation, Sergio Galvez Perez was arrested after he was found in possession of narcotics. Mexican authorities are aware of the pending charges against him in Monterey County for crimes committed against Diana. Diana is safe and is currently in the care of local authorities in Mexico.”
Sheriff Tina Nieto, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office
Investigators have not yet disclosed the exact location in Mexico where the pair was found, nor have they detailed any immediate plans for extradition back to California.
Investigators File Charges After Infant Death Discovery
The international search grew out of an investigation that began on August 1, when an agricultural worker discovered the body of a newborn baby girl on the side of Struve Road in a remote area outside Moss Landing. Law enforcement officials later referred to the infant as Baby Angelita
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Investigators subsequently determined that the 14-year-old had given birth beside the roadway and left the newborn there, and that the infant showed signs of traumatic injury. Sheriff’s investigators stated that Galvez Perez was the biological father of both the teenager and the deceased infant, alleging that he sexually abused and impregnated his daughter when she was 13.
Prosecutors in Monterey County Superior Court filed multiple felony counts against Galvez Perez, including lewd act upon a child, incest, and child abuse. The complaint specifies that the offenses allegedly took place between November 1, 2025, and April 21, 2026, and includes an enhancement alleging that the defendant personally inflicted great bodily injury.
Community Pressure Prompts Clarification on Teen Legal Standing
The handling of the case generated public friction and community pushback after the sheriff’s office initially announced probable cause to arrest the teenager for murder and stated that the situation did not fit criteria for an Amber Alert. Following community criticism and pressure from local officials including Supervisor Wendy Root Askew, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office stepped in to clarify the teen’s legal standing.
We recognize that the 14-year-old is a victim of her father’s abuse.
District Attorney’s Office
While prosecutors have not charged the 14-year-old in connection with the infant’s death, authorities previously arrested the teenager’s mother, 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega, on suspicion of felony child endangerment. She was subsequently released after posting bail.
Questions Remain Open Over Return and Legal Status
Although Diana Galvez Ortega is safe under the care of local authorities in Mexico, several aspects of the ongoing case remain unanswered. Officials have not specified when or under what mechanism she will return to the United States, nor have they clarified whether she faces any future juvenile or criminal proceedings regarding the newborn’s death.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office stated that a formal press conference will be scheduled at a later date to release additional information regarding the rescue operation, the ongoing investigation, and the status of the arrest of Sergio Galvez Perez.