WATSONVILLE – A 60-year-old woman from Watsonville, Pamela Ferreyra, was arrested Thursday morning in connection with a cold case dating back 30 years involving the discovery of a deceased baby boy.
Ferreyra faces one count of murder and has been booked into Monterey County Jail. She is accused of abandoning the newborn on the side of Garin Road, where he was later found by a passerby.
During a press conference, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office referred to the infant as “Baby Garin.” Commander Andres Rosas shared details about the grim discovery made on December 3, 1994. A recycler stumbled upon a paper bag, and upon opening it, found the deceased infant wrapped in a blanket. Although the cause of death was initially undetermined, a pathologist concluded that Baby Garin was only a few days old and had been alive at the time of death.
The case remained unsolved until 2023 when the department sought assistance from external sources. Partnering with Othram, a Texas-based private forensics lab, investigators produced a DNA profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogy testing. This breakthrough led them to Baby Garin’s family and ultimately to his mother.
Ferreyra cooperated with police when they arrived at her home.
Commander Rosas remarked, “Any law enforcement professional will tell you that the hardest cases to investigate involve crimes against children. These emotional cases are not easily forgotten.”
