Monterey County's top prosecutor called a 14-year-old girl a victim of abuse in the Moss Landing infant death case. The Sheriff's Office had identified the teen as a murder suspect.

Sheriff's deputies found a dead infant on the side of Struve Road in Moss Landing on Saturday, Aug. 1. Investigators named her "Baby Angelita." A postmortem examination found signs of traumatic injury, according to CBS News Bay Area.

On Aug. 31, Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto announced one arrest and warrants for two others. Ofelia Garcia Ortega, 36, of Castroville, was arrested on child endangerment charges, booked into Monterey County Jail, and released. An arrest warrant was issued for Sergio Galvez Perez, 38, on charges including child endangerment, incest, lewd acts with a minor and unlawful sexual intercourse.

The Sheriff's Office also identified a 14-year-old girl as a murder suspect. According to the investigation, Galvez Perez is the teen's father and is alleged to have sexually abused her. The infant was their child, Monterey County Now reported.

Two days later, on Sept. 2, District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni issued a statement calling the teen a victim. The DA's office said it recognized the 14-year-old as "a victim of her father's abuse" and that its priority was ensuring the girl's safety. The office said it had not received a request for charges or investigative reports from law enforcement regarding the teen, and no charges have been filed against her, according to the DA's office.

The DA has filed charges against Galvez Perez and is reviewing potential charges against Garcia Ortega. No response from Galvez Perez or Garcia Ortega to the allegations appears in public records as of publication.

Supervisor Wendy Root Askew also criticized the Sheriff's Office for not prioritizing the teen's safety in its initial announcement, according to the Mercury News.

Amber Alert, search ongoing

On Sept. 6, the California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert at the Sheriff's Office request. The pair were last seen Aug. 4 at about 2 a.m. near Constitution Boulevard and East Laurel Drive in Salinas. The Sheriff's Office said Galvez Perez is believed to be concealing the teen.

The white Nissan Altima linked to the alert was found Sept. 8 in Monterey County with help from the public, KTVU reported. Both Galvez Perez and the teen remain missing. The Sheriff's Office said it has received hundreds of calls, emails and messages since the alert was issued.

Board to vote on $2.8 million Flock camera contract

During her Aug. 31 press conference, Sheriff Nieto devoted significant time to praising Flock Safety's automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, opening and closing her roughly five-minute remarks with the technology's role in the case.

Nieto said the cameras helped detectives who "started with almost nothing" develop critical leads in the Baby Angelita investigation. She argued that behind every camera there may be a victim waiting for justice.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday, Sept. 22 on a 10-year, $2,781,000 contract with Flock Safety that would add 40 cameras to the county's existing 63, for a total of 103 countywide, according to a Sheriff's Office press release.

The contract was originally on the board's Aug. 25 agenda but was pulled that morning. Supervisor Luis Alejo said the Sheriff's Office had received more than 30 questions about the proposal, according to the Monterey Herald.

At that meeting, 34 residents spoke against the contract during public comment. None spoke in favor. Supervisor Askew said she had received more than 400 comments, most opposed, according to Voices of Monterey Bay.

The local debate comes as California again failed to regulate the technology. Senate Bill 1013 (SB 1013), which would have restricted how law enforcement uses license plate data, was blocked in the Assembly on Aug. 31 by majority leader Cecilia Aguilar-Curry, CalMatters reported. It was the fifth consecutive year the state failed to pass such regulations.

Anyone with information about Galvez Perez or the teen is asked to contact MCSO Detective Sergeant Nicholas Kennedy at (831) 755-3773 or Detective Richard Geng at (831) 759-7279. Do not approach either individual. Call 911 if they are spotted.