California Alerts Nationwide as 14-Year-Old Salinas Teen Missing, Suspected Abductor in White Nissan Altima
A chilling Amber Alert rattled 12 California counties on Sunday after a 14‑year‑old Salinas girl vanished in the dead of night. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued the alert following reports that Diana Galvez Ortega was last seen Friday evening at about 2 a.m. in Salinas with a 38‑year‑old man named Sergio Galvez Perez.
According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Ortega and Perez were traveling together in a white Nissan Altima that had no license plates. Ortega is described as 4‑feet‑10, 100 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. CHP officials say the teen is believed to be in Perez’s company, though the exact nature of their relationship remains unknown.
The case is linked to a separate investigation that began after an infant’s body was found on a Monterey County roadway on August 1. Investigators refer to the child as “Baby Angelita,” discovered in the 100 block of Struve Road in a rural area of northern Monterey County. The sheriff’s office has issued arrest warrants for Perez and an unnamed 14‑year‑old girl in connection with the infant’s death.
On August 31, the sheriff’s office released warrants charging Perez with incest, unlawful sexual intercourse, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, and other related offenses. The warrants also name a 14‑year‑old girl from the Salinas‑Castroville area who is alleged to have been involved in the infant’s death. Sheriff officials stated that detectives believe Perez is currently hiding the girl and preventing law enforcement from locating her.
Because of her age, the sheriff’s office has not released the name of the other 14‑year‑old involved in the infant death case. The office confirmed that the girl is the same age as Ortega and that Perez is the suspect in both the missing‑teen and infant‑death investigations.
The CHP’s Amber Alert system is part of California’s statewide child‑abduction recovery strategy, which has been in place since 2002. Alerts are distributed through radio, television, text messages, and other channels to mobilize the public in locating missing children.
Law enforcement officials in Monterey County have urged residents across the 12 counties—Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Orange, and Imperial—to remain vigilant. The sheriff’s office has emphasized that the suspect is traveling in a vehicle without license plates, which may make it harder for authorities to track.
The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of child safety and the role of state and local law‑enforcement agencies in protecting minors. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has been actively investigating the infant’s death, while the CHP continues to monitor the situation involving Ortega.
At this time, no further details have been released about the suspect’s whereabouts or the status of Ortega’s disappearance. The CHP and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office are continuing their search and are encouraging anyone with information to contact law‑enforcement agencies.
The current situation remains fluid, with authorities working to locate Ortega and apprehend Perez. The next steps will likely involve coordinated efforts between the CHP, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, and local police departments across the 12 counties covered by the Amber Alert.
