A 14-year-old California girl has been rescued in Mexico, and her father has been arrested weeks after authorities accused him of sexually abusing and impregnating her.
The teenager was found safe during a coordinated operation involving Mexican law enforcement, the FBI and Monterey County investigators, Sheriff Tina Nieto said Sunday. Her infant daughter was discovered dead beside a road.
The girl’s father, 38-year-old Sergio Galvez Perez, was found with her and arrested during the operation after authorities said he was in possession of narcotics.
The teenager is now in the care of local authorities in Mexico, Nieto said. Mexican officials have also been notified of the numerous criminal charges pending against Perez in Monterey County.
The investigation began August 1, when emergency crews were called to the 100 block of Struve Road in north Monterey County after a newborn was reported lying beside the roadway. The infant, whom investigators referred to as “Baby Angelita,” was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later determined that a juvenile girl had given birth to the baby beside the road before leaving the area. A forensic post-mortem examination found evidence of traumatic injuries to the infant, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
As detectives worked to establish what had happened, they identified Perez and his teenage daughter in connection with the infant’s discovery.
Authorities initially obtained an arrest warrant for the girl on suspicion of murder. Perez was sought on allegations including incest, sexual offenses involving a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment.
The teenager was found with her 38-year-old father, Sergio Galvez Perez, during a joint operation involving the FBI and Mexican authorities, Monterey County officials said Sunday. Authorities have not disclosed where in Mexico the pair were located
Perez is also known as a Mixtec musician who performs under the name “El Aguila Real y su Ritmo Sabroso”
Prosecutors later clarified that the teenager had not been charged, after the initial characterization prompted criticism from members of the public.
Critics questioned how the case had been handled and argued that the teenager should have been identified as a victim from the beginning. The District Attorney’s Office subsequently issued a clarification.
The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said it had not received a request to file criminal charges against the girl and had made no charging decision.
Prosecutors explicitly identified her as a victim of her father’s alleged abuse and said she should not be treated as a perpetrator.
“We recognize that the 14-year-old is a victim of her father’s abuse,” the District Attorney’s Office said September 2. “No child should ever have to endure such horrific circumstances.”
The statement came as concern grew over the teenager’s whereabouts and safety. Authorities had issued an Amber Alert during the search, saying Perez was believed to be concealing the girl and preventing investigators from finding her.
Authorities previously arrested the girl’s mother, 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega, a resident of Castroville/Salinas, on suspicion of child endangerment. Ortega was released from the Monterey County Jail on bail, while prosecutors continue reviewing potential charges against her.
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Andres Rosas, public information commander for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, previously told the Daily Mail that information about whether Ortega had denied involvement or knowledge of the case could not be released because of the “ongoing investigation.”
The case began August 1, when the newborn, whom law enforcement referred to as “Baby Angelita,” was discovered dead in the 100 block of Struve Road in north Monterey County
Perez is accused of multiple felony offenses, including incest, lewd or lascivious acts involving a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment. The investigation into the infant’s death remains ongoing
Perez is also known as a Mixtec musician who performs under the name ‘El Aguila Real y su Ritmo Sabroso.’
Sheriff Tina Nieto previously urged Perez to turn himself in at a news conference early last month.
‘We need Sergio Galvez Perez to stop hiding and face the charges against him,’ she said.
The Amber Alert remained a critical part of the efforts to locate the missing girl. Several days after the alert was issued, authorities recovered Perez’s suspected getaway vehicle in Monterey County.
The breakthrough eventually came in Mexico, where the teenager and her father were located. Officials described the effort as a rescue operation involving US and Mexican authorities.
During the operation, Perez was also found in possession of narcotics, according to authorities. Officials have not said what type of drugs were allegedly found or explained how he came into possession of them.
Perez now faces a series of serious felony allegations in California, including incest, lewd or lascivious acts involving a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment.
The criminal complaint alleges that the sexual abuse occurred between November 2025 and April 2026, when the girl was under 14. The child-abuse charge alleges that Perez caused or permitted her to suffer physical and mental harm and placed her health and safety in danger.
The charges currently filed against Perez do not include a homicide charge related to Baby Angelita’s death and that investigation remains active. The allegations have not been adjudicated in court.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death beyond saying that the baby suffered traumatic injuries. They have also not said whether additional charges will be filed as the investigation continues.
The recovery of the teenager in Mexico marks a major development in a case that has raised painful questions about child abuse, parental control and the protection of vulnerable children.
For now, authorities say the 14-year-old is safe and receiving care in Mexico.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said it plans to hold a news conference at a later date to provide additional information about the rescue and the ongoing investigation.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Monterey County Sheriff’s Office public information commander Andres Rosas for comment, as well as Sheriff Tina Nieto.