A Monterey County man accused of sexually abusing and impregnating his 14-year-old daughter has been arrested in Mexico, where authorities also rescued the teenager herself. Sergio Galvez Perez was taken into custody after he was found in possession of narcotics during the operation that located both him and his daughter, Diana Galvez Ortega, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
The arrest caps a search that began after investigators identified Perez and his daughter as connected to the death of an infant found near a Moss Landing strawberry field on August 1, as KSBW reported. Sheriff's detectives worked with the FBI and Mexican authorities to track down Perez and secure Diana's rescue, and Sheriff Tina Nieto said Diana is safe and currently in the care of local authorities in Mexico. Nieto also said Mexican authorities are aware of the pending Monterey County charges against Perez, according to the CBS News report, which was written by reporter Jose Fabian for CBS San Francisco.
What the Charges Actually Allege
Perez was charged in Monterey County Superior Court with three felony counts: lewd act upon a child, incest and child abuse, per the same KSBW account. The lewd act and incest counts allege conduct involving the same female victim between November 1, 2025, and April 21, 2026, while the child-abuse count alleges that Perez caused a child in his care, identified in court filings as Jane Doe, to suffer physical pain and mental suffering between November 1, 2025, and August 5, 2026.
Notably, the current charges do not include murder or child abuse involving the newborn, the station's report states. A postmortem examination on the infant found signs of traumatic injury, but the evidence reviewed does not establish a confirmed cause or manner of death beyond that finding.
Conflicting Accounts of the Infant's Death
Exactly what happened on the day the baby died is described differently across outlets. KSBW reported that investigators said the juvenile gave birth alongside the road, placed the baby on the ground and left the area. KTVU, however, reported that authorities said Diana gave birth near Struve Road and killed the infant. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office has said deputies were originally dispatched to a report of an infant located near the 100 block of Struve Road in north Monterey County, according to a notice posted on the Monterey County Sheriff's Office website.
The Monterey County District Attorney's Office has made no charging decision regarding the 14-year-old and has said she is a victim of her father's abuse, per the KSBW report. The office has also said no child should have to endure such horrific circumstances, according to that same account.
Sheriff's Office Had Sought Both Father and Daughter
Before the arrest, the sheriff's office said it was looking for both Perez and the teen girl in connection with the infant's death, and on August 31 the agency said Perez was wanted on numerous felony violations and released three additional photos of him, according to a notice from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. Investigators have said Perez was wanted on suspicion of incest, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, lewd acts with a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment.
The sheriff's office said the investigation remains active and that it plans to provide more information at a later news conference. For now, officials have confirmed only that Diana is safe in Mexican custody and that her father is in custody facing the three felony counts already filed, with the broader question of what happened to the newborn still unresolved.
