NEWBORN FOUND BESIDE A CALIFORNIA ROAD — THEN POLICE REVEAL A DISTURBING FAMILY SECRET INVOLVING A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL

A newborn baby was discovered beside a rural California road.

Nearly a month later, investigators revealed a deeply disturbing development: the teenager authorities believe gave birth to the baby is only 14 years old — and police say her own father is the biological father of both the teenager and the newborn.

The case has now become an active murder investigation, with authorities searching for both the teenage girl and her 38-year-old father.

But investigators say the teenager is not only a suspect.

They also believe she is a victim of serious sexual abuse.

The newborn, whom authorities have named “Baby Angelita,” was discovered around 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 along Struve Road in a rural area of North Monterey County, near a strawberry-growing region.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene and found the infant beside the roadway. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A postmortem examination later found signs of traumatic injury, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have not publicly released a detailed explanation of the injuries or a specific cause of death.

THE INVESTIGATION TOOK A DISTURBING TURN

For weeks, detectives worked to determine who the baby was and what had happened before she was found.

Investigators eventually concluded that the infant had been born to a 14-year-old girl.

Authorities say the teenager gave birth beside the road before leaving the baby there.

That led investigators to seek an arrest warrant for the girl on suspicion of murder.

Her name has not been released because she is a juvenile.

But then investigators uncovered another shocking part of the case.

Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said authorities had confirmed that Sergio Galvez Perez, 38, is the biological father of both the 14-year-old girl and Baby Angelita.

Perez is now wanted on multiple serious allegations, including incest, lewd or lascivious acts involving a child under 14, lewd acts with a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment.

Investigators also believe Perez is currently concealing his teenage daughter and preventing authorities from locating her.

A TEENAGER WHO AUTHORITIES SAY IS BOTH SUSPECT AND VICTIM

The case has created an especially complicated situation for investigators.

The 14-year-old is being sought in connection with the death of her newborn.

At the same time, authorities say she was allegedly subjected to sexual abuse by her own father.

Sheriff Nieto emphasized that investigators are dealing with two children at the center of the case — the newborn and the 14-year-old.

Officials have described the teenager as a victim of alleged sexual abuse while simultaneously investigating her as a suspect in the infant’s death.

That distinction is important.

Authorities have not publicly explained exactly what happened during the birth, what injuries the baby sustained or what investigators believe the teenager’s state of mind was at the time.

The murder allegation against the teenager remains an allegation, and the investigation is ongoing.

POLICE FOLLOWED A VEHICLE

Investigators also traced a vehicle believed to be connected to the case.

Authorities had been looking for a beige 2010 Mercury Milan after the infant was discovered.

The vehicle was eventually located with help from Flock automated license plate reader technology.

According to investigators, the camera system helped detectives identify people connected to the vehicle and move the investigation forward within roughly 53 hours of the baby’s discovery.

The vehicle became one of several important pieces of evidence as detectives worked to identify the people involved.

Police have continued searching for Perez and the teenage girl.

Authorities have warned members of the public not to approach Perez if they see him, but instead to contact law enforcement.

THE FATHER REMAINS AT LARGE

Perez has not been publicly reported as being in custody.

Authorities believe he may be actively concealing the teenager.

His wanted status has added another layer of urgency to the investigation because detectives say they need to locate the girl both as part of the criminal investigation and because of concerns surrounding her alleged abuse.

The teenager’s mother, identified as 36-year-old Ofelia Garcia Ortega, has also been arrested on suspicion of child endangerment.

She was subsequently released on bail, according to authorities.

Investigators have not publicly established what role, if any, she may have played in the events surrounding Baby Angelita’s birth and death.

QUESTIONS ARE STILL UNANSWERED

The case has left investigators facing difficult questions.

Why did the teenager give birth on the roadside?

What happened to the baby immediately afterward?

What caused the infant’s traumatic injuries?

And what role did the adults around the teenager allegedly play?

Authorities have not released enough information to answer those questions publicly.

The sheriff’s office has also stressed that the investigation remains active.

For now, detectives are focused on locating Perez and the teenager while continuing to gather evidence surrounding Baby Angelita’s death.

The case is particularly disturbing because the same teenager being sought in connection with her baby’s death is also described by authorities as a child who may have suffered prolonged abuse.

Sheriff Nieto has urged the public to remember that reality as the investigation continues.

At the center of the case, authorities say, are two children — a newborn whose life ended before it truly began, and a 14-year-old who investigators believe may herself have been subjected to horrific circumstances.

The search for answers is still underway.