CHP activates an Amber Alert reaching Kern and 10 other counties
SALINAS, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol activated an Amber Alert on Sunday, September 6, for 14-year-old Diana Galvez Ortega, who was last seen with 38-year-old Sergio Galvez Perez in Salinas, according to CHP's statewide alert and current reporting from NBC Los Angeles.
CHP says the two were last seen around 2 a.m. August 4 near Constitution Boulevard and East Laurel Drive. The suspected vehicle is a white Nissan Altima without license plates. Anyone who sees the teenager, Perez or the vehicle should call 911 and should not approach Perez.
The alert was distributed in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Orange and Imperial counties. CHP's Bakersfield Communications Center listed the alert as a Missing/Abducted Child incident at 1:01 p.m. Sunday and identified Perez in its detail log.
That Bakersfield listing means the alert is active in the region; it does not establish that the pair or the Nissan has been seen in Bakersfield or elsewhere in Kern County. No confirmed Kern County sighting was announced in the official record or current reporting reviewed by What’s the Scoop With Broach.
Read the source: California Highway Patrol: September 6 Amber Alert notice and county list ↗
The teenager is an alleged abuse victim; the allegations against Perez remain unproven
Monterey County authorities have identified Perez as the teenager's biological father. The District Attorney's Office says it has filed a child-molestation charge against him and is seeking his arrest. The Sheriff's Office also has described warrants involving alleged incest, lewd acts with a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, child concealment and child endangerment.
Those are criminal allegations, not convictions. Perez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The Amber Alert is a request for public assistance in locating a child believed to face imminent danger; it is not a determination that every allegation in the underlying investigation has been established at trial.
Authorities say Perez is concealing the teenager and preventing law enforcement from locating her. The Monterey County District Attorney's Office describes the girl as a victim and says responsibility for getting her to safety does not rest on the child.
Prosecutors say the teenager has not been charged in her newborn's death
The search grew from the investigation into the death of a newborn whom authorities call Baby Angelita. First responders found the infant beside the 100 block of Struve Road in northern Monterey County on August 1, according to the Sheriff's Office and published reporting. Investigators say a forensic examination found signs of traumatic injury.
Sheriff Tina Nieto previously described the 14-year-old as a murder suspect and said a judge had issued a Ramey arrest warrant. The District Attorney's Office later emphasized that it had not received a filing request or investigative reports concerning the girl and had made no charging decision.
A Ramey warrant can be obtained by police directly from a judge based on probable cause before prosecutors file a criminal complaint. It is not the same as a charge filed by the District Attorney. Reporting that the teenager has been charged with murder would therefore be inaccurate as of Sunday.
The newborn's death remains under investigation. A warrant or police account does not establish guilt, and the circumstances described by authorities involve a child whom prosecutors say needs safety, services and support.
What the public should look for
CHP describes Perez as a Hispanic man, 38 years old, 5 feet 5 inches tall and approximately 170 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. The vehicle described in the Amber Alert is a white Nissan Altima with no license plates.
Because the teenager is a minor and an alleged sexual-abuse victim, this publication is limiting unnecessary identifying detail while reporting the name used in the official alert only where it serves the immediate search. People should share the official CHP notice rather than altered images, graphic speculation or accusations against relatives and community members.
Anyone who sees Perez, the teenager or the suspected Nissan should call 911 and provide a safe location, direction of travel and vehicle description. Do not approach or attempt to confront Perez. Other information can be given to Monterey County Sheriff's Detective Richard Geng at 831-759-7279 or Detective Sergeant Nicholas Kennedy at 831-755-3773; the Sheriff's Office says tips may be anonymous.
About the image
The accompanying image is a licensed locator map highlighting Monterey County within California. It establishes where the case originated but does not depict the teenager, Perez, the suspected vehicle, the August 4 last-seen location or a route into Kern County.
Creator David Benbennick released the map into the public domain through Wikimedia Commons. It is used with attribution for geographic context and does not imply endorsement by the creator or Wikimedia Commons.
Sources and further reading
California Highway Patrol: September 6 Amber Alert notice and county list ↗
CHP Bakersfield Communications Center: live Missing/Abducted Child incident record ↗
NBC Los Angeles: current Amber Alert details, last-seen location and suspected vehicle ↗
Monterey County Sheriff: official August 31 search notice and public tip information ↗
Monterey County District Attorney: statement on the teenager's legal status and Perez charge ↗
SFGATE: prosecutor clarification that the teenager has not been charged ↗
Los Angeles Times: background on the newborn-death investigation and search ↗
Wikimedia Commons: Monterey County locator map and public-domain declaration ↗