More than 16 years after a newborn girl was found dead in a dumpster in the San Francisco Bay Area, police have arrested a Colorado woman in connection with the baby’s death.
According to the Union City Police Department (UCPD), a man searching for recyclables discovered the infant’s body at Parkside Apartments on Decoto Road on May 18, 2009. The newborn was later named Matea Esperanza, meaning “Gift from God” in Hebrew and “Hope” in Spanish.
Breakthrough in the Case
After years of investigation, police credit advanced DNA analysis for the recent breakthrough. DNA evidence collected in 2009 was reanalyzed using new technology, leading detectives to Angela Onduto, 46, of Denver, Colorado. She had been on investigators’ radar in the early stages but was not previously charged.
Last month—around the time Matea would have turned 16—Union City detectives traveled to Denver to work with local authorities. Onduto was initially taken into custody, though formal charges were delayed pending further forensic review and a reexamination of the medical examiner’s findings.
This week, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office filed murder charges against Onduto. She was arrested again late Wednesday by Denver police and remains in custody in Colorado. Union City authorities are now working to extradite her back to California.
A Long-Awaited Step Toward Justice
In a statement, UCPD said:
“The UCPD expresses deep gratitude that justice is progressing in Matea’s case after 16 years, reaffirming the department’s commitment to solving cold cases and bringing closure to the community.”
In 2017, the Union City Police Officers’ Association purchased a permanent grave marker for Matea at the Chapel of the Chimes in Hayward, where she is buried. Each May, the department holds a memorial in her honor.
“She is a part of our UCPD family and will not be forgotten,” the department wrote in a social media post on May 18.
How to Share Information
Anyone with additional details about the case is urged to contact Detective Ayala at 510-675-5259. Anonymous tips can also be shared by calling 510-675-5207.
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