Teen mom at center of incest case may have fatally run over her newborn, cops say

A 14-year-old girl in California may have driven over her newborn baby after giving birth in a strawberry field where she worked, police said Thursday.

The new details regarding the death of the infant, referred to by authorities as “Baby Angelita” — which means “Baby Angel” in Spanish — were disclosed by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI during a joint press briefing. Detectives believe the teenager hid her pregnancy from her mother and was impregnated by her father, Sergio Galvez Perez.

The baby’s body was discovered on August 1 in an unincorporated section of Monterey County. Investigators suspect the girl delivered the child at her workplace before driving the vehicle.

Evidence gathered at the scene indicates the newborn was struck by the right front tire of a sedan, according to Detective Richard Geng of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

“Several feet from Baby Angelita was what appeared to be a large blood stain, which led detectives to believe that Baby Angelita was moved from where she was born to a location under a vehicle that ended up running her over,” Geng said.

License plate reader technology tracked a sedan connected to the teenager’s parents arriving at and departing from the field on the day of the birth. Investigators said Galvez Perez was in the Bay Area at the time and that there is currently no evidence linking him directly to the infant’s death.

Following the discovery of the body, police executed a search at the Salinas home shared by Galvez Perez and the teenager’s mother. Officers located the girl hiding beneath a pile of clothes.

Although she initially told detectives that a minor was the father, investigators later identified Galvez Perez as the parent.

The teenager was taken to a medical facility for post-childbirth treatment. However, officials stated Galvez Perez removed her from the hospital on August 4, after which both fled to Mexico.

The handling of the investigation drew criticism from the local community and Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew, particularly after Sheriff Tina Nieto stated there was probable cause to arrest the 14-year-old for murder and initially determined the situation did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert.

An Amber Alert was eventually issued on September 6, and Monterey County authorities confirmed Sunday that Mexican law enforcement had found the teenager and arrested her father.

Prosecutors have charged Galvez Perez “for the heinous crime of sexually assaulting his own child,” as reported by ABC7 Los Angeles. Monterey County officials are seeking his extradition from Mexico.

Authorities declined to state whether the 14-year-old would face extradition or criminal charges.