Over 16 years after a newborn girl was discovered dead in a San Francisco Bay Area dumpster, her mother has been charged with murder.
On May 18, 2009, a man searching for recyclables at the Parkside Apartments discovered the infant, still attached to her umbilical cord and wrapped in bloodied pantyhose, behind the complex on Decoto Road in Union City.
The child, whom police later called Matea Esperanza, which translates to “Gift from God” and “Hope,” was too young to survive.
Despite an initial investigation, the case remained cold for years until advances in DNA technology allowed detectives to revisit the evidence, ultimately identifying 46-year-old Angela Onduto of Denver, Colorado, also known as Angela Anderson, as a suspect.
Last month, near what would have been Esperanza’s 16th birthday, Union City detectives traveled to Denver and, in coordination with local authorities, arrested Onduto.
At that time, charges were pending further forensic review.
On July 2, after the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office filed formal murder charges, Denver officials re-arrested and booked Onduto. She now awaits extradition back to California.
Onduto confessed to drowning the newborn inside her apartment shortly after giving birth and discarding her body in the dumpster, according to a probable-cause statement obtained by the East Bay Times.
She expressed no remorse and denied having any mental health or substance abuse issues at the time, the outlet reports.
Union City authorities continue to honor Esperanza’s memory. In 2017, a permanent grave marker was placed at the Chapel of the Chimes in Hayward, and the police department holds an annual remembrance ceremony each May.
Detectives are still gathering information on this case. Anyone with details is asked to contact Detective Dominic Ayala at (510) 675‑5259 or submit an anonymous tip at (510) 675‑5207.
