Current:Home > NewsA newborn was found dead at a California dump 30 years ago. His mother was just arrested.-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
A newborn was found dead at a California dump 30 years ago. His mother was just arrested.
lotradecoin rewards View Date:2024-12-26 01:50:32
A central California woman was arrested Thursday in connection with the cold case death of her newborn baby, whose body was found in at a dumpsite 30 years ago.
Pamela Ferreyra, 60, has been charged with one count of murder in the death of the baby boy in 1994, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. The cause of death was never determined.
New DNA profiling and technology led to the identification of the Watsonville woman, who was arrested at her home without resistance, sheriff's office spokesperson Andy Rosas confirmed at a news conference.
Assistant District Attorney Matt L'Heureux said it's his understanding that Ferreyra has other children. Her Facebook page suggests she worked as an in-home healthcare provider, local station KSBW-TV reported.
Monterey court records do not indicate whether Ferreyra has been assigned an attorney as of Thursday evening.
Age of infant child undetermined
While the exact age of the infant victim is unclear, Rosas said that officials can confirm that he was indeed born. However, officials have been unable to determine whether the baby was alive or dead when left at an illegal dumpsite in a rural part of Monterey county.
The baby was placed in a red paper bag wearing a white T-shirt, diaper and a stocking-style cap while wrapped up in a blanket with pink and blue stripes, according to Rosas. Officials are calling the infant "Baby Garin" as he was found on Garin Road.
"If you ask any law enforcement professional they will tell you that the hardest case to investigate is any involving crimes against children," Rosas told reporters. "These are emotional cases that one does not easily if ever forget."
Authorities estimated that the body was lying there for around two to three weeks, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in 1994.
Cold case reopened in 2023
After decades as a cold case, the investigation reopened in early 2023.
Thanks to technological advances, officials created a DNA profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogy, Rosas said. A Colorado-based genealogy company was eventually able to offer a lead on the newborn's family. A warrant for Ferreyra's arrest was ordered Tuesday.
While a cause of death has not been determined, L'Heureux said the district attorney's office still has sufficient evidence to charge the mother with murder. At the news conference, he said he could not answer what was going through Ferreyra's mind the past 30 years.
"We run into a variety of different reactions. Some of them seem to think that they have gotten away with it and are very surprised. Some of them have been waiting for that knock on the door for decades," L'Heureux said. "I couldn't tell you which situation this falls under but we're happy this day has come."
Ferreyra's arraignment has been scheduled for Friday afternoon and her bail has been set at $1 million.
veryGood! (72568)
Related
- Sofía Vergara Responds After Joe Manganiello Says Her Reason for Divorce Is “Not True”
- Pig organ transplants are 'not going to be easy,' researcher says after latest setback.
- Tulsa Race Massacre survivors seek justice as search for graves, family roots continue
- Emma Chamberlain Celebrates Her High School Graduation at Age 23 With Heartwarming Photos
- A stowaway groundhog is elevated to local icon
- Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky says faith in anti-doping policies at 'all-time low'
- Marian Robinson, mother of Michelle Obama, dies at 86
- Champions League final: Real Madrid’s European kings are so good, Ancelotti wants them to be studied
- TikToker Nicole Renard Warren Claps Back Over Viral Firework Display at Baby’s Sex Reveal
- Downtown Atlanta water service disrupted, forcing business closings, water boil notice
Ranking
- Ryan Reynolds on his 'complicated' relationship with his dad, how it's changed him
- Princess Kate to skip major U.K. military event in London over 2 months after announcing cancer treatment
- Live Nation reveals data breach at its Ticketmaster subsidiary
- Disruptions at University of Chicago graduation as school withholds 4 diplomas over protests
- 'RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars': Premiere date, cast, where to watch and stream
- Boeing Starliner launch scheduled to take NASA astronauts to ISS scrubbed
- Jennifer Lopez cancels 2024 tour This Is Me: 'Completely heartsick and devastated'
- Lawsuit ends over Confederate monument outside North Carolina courthouse
Recommendation
-
51 Must-Try Stress Relief & Self-Care Products for National Relaxation Day (& National Wellness Month)
-
Mel B's ex-husband sues her for defamation over memoir 'laden with egregious lies'
-
From his Montana ranch, a retired lawmaker in a crowded House race is angling for a comeback
-
Tulsa Race Massacre survivors seek justice as search for graves, family roots continue
-
Head of Theodore Roosevelt National Park departs North Dakota job
-
Jennifer Lopez cancels 2024 tour This Is Me: 'Completely heartsick and devastated'
-
You Won't Runaway From Richard Gere's Glowing First Impression of Julia Roberts
-
Pregnant Hailey Bieber Gives Shoutout to Baby Daddy Justin Bieber