(Photo via; Monterey County Sheriff’s Office)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
9:55 AM – Saturday, October 19, 2024
A California mother has been charged with murder 30 years after her newborn child had been found dead inside a paper bag at a dumpsite.
On Thursday, 60-year-old Pamela Ferreyra was arrested and charged with murder after DNA testing showed she was the mother of a baby that had been found dead inside a dumpster in Monterey County in 1994.
According to Monterey County Sheriff Tina M. Nieto, the baby, had been known as “Baby Garin” after the road where he was found as well as the fact that “Garin means protection.”
“Every child deserves protection and people to advocate and seek justice for them,” she said.
Authorities stated that tests still have not yet determined how old the baby was when he was dumped at the site and if he had been alive or dead before.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Commander said that the can collector who found the newborn had “opened up that paper bag and discovered something that nobody ever wants to find.”
“If you ask any law enforcement professional, they will tell you that the hardest case to investigate is any involving crimes against children,” Rosas said. “These are emotional cases that one does not easily if ever forget.”
Early in 2023, the investigation was reopened following decades as a cold case.
Technology advancements allowed officials to create a DNA profile that can be used for forensic genetic genealogy, according to Rosas.
Eventually, a Colorado-based genealogy firm was able to provide a lead regarding the newborn’s family. On Tuesday, a warrant for Ferreyra’s arrest was issued.
According to reports, Ferreyra is now an in-home care provider and has multiple children.
She was arrested at her home on Thursday and charged with one count of murder.
On Friday, Ferreyra pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Ferreyra is being held on a $1 million bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for November 5th.
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