A 14-year-old Monterey County girl at the center of an Amber Alert has been rescued in Mexico. Her father is in custody, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office announced Sunday, Oct. 4.

Sheriff Tina Nieto said detectives worked with the FBI and Mexican authorities to locate the teen and arrest her father, Sergio Galvez Perez, 38. Galvez Perez was found in possession of narcotics during the operation, according to the sheriff's office.

"Diana is safe and is currently in the care of local authorities in Mexico," Nieto said.

The rescue followed a two-month search tied to the death of a newborn investigators have called Baby Angelita. On Aug. 1, fire crews and sheriff's deputies responded around 8:30 a.m. to the 100 block of Struve Road near a Moss Landing strawberry field after a report that an infant had been found alongside the roadway, according to a sheriff's office press release. Fire personnel confirmed the baby was deceased.

A forensic examination found signs of traumatic injury. Detectives developed evidence indicating a juvenile female gave birth along the roadside and left the area, the sheriff's office said.

Within 53 hours of Baby Angelita's discovery, investigators combined data from Flock automated license plate reader cameras with traditional techniques to develop leads, the sheriff's office said.

Charges filed

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office filed criminal charges against Galvez Perez on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Monterey County Superior Court. He faces three felony counts: a lewd act upon a child, incest and child abuse.

The lewd act and incest charges allege that between Nov. 1, 2025, and April 21, 2026, Galvez Perez committed the alleged crimes against a female child under 14. The lewd act charge carries an enhancement alleging he "personally inflicted great bodily injury in the commission" of the alleged crime, according to the criminal complaint first reported by KSBW.

The child abuse charge alleges that between Nov. 1, 2025, and Aug. 5, 2026, Galvez Perez caused a child in his care to suffer physical pain and mental suffering and placed her in a situation endangering her health.

District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni said in a Sept. 2 statement that her office recognized the 14-year-old as a victim of her father's alleged abuse. Pacioni said her office had not received a filing request for charges against the teen and had made no charging decision regarding her.

She has not been charged.

The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Diana Galvez Ortega on Sept. 6 at the sheriff's office's request. Detectives had located surveillance video showing Galvez Perez and the teen in the Salinas area in a white Nissan Altima with no license plates, according to a sheriff's office alert.

The search stretched more than a month and drew hundreds of tips, though false sightings complicated the effort, KSBW reported in mid-September.

A separate arrest was made earlier in the investigation. Ofelia Garcia Ortega, 36, of the Castroville/Salinas area, was booked on a child endangerment charge. She posted bail and was released.

Mexican authorities are aware of the pending Monterey County charges against Galvez Perez, the sheriff's office said. The office has not specified where in Mexico the rescue took place or detailed any proceedings to bring Galvez Perez to Monterey County.

The investigation remains active. The sheriff's office said it will hold a news conference at a date not yet announced.