DENVER, CO – After more than a decade of uncertainty, authorities have arrested a Colorado woman in connection with the death of her newborn daughter, whose body was discovered in a Union City, California, dumpster in 2009.
Angela Onduto, 46, was taken into custody in Denver on July 2, following the filing of murder charges by Alameda County prosecutors. Investigators say advanced DNA testing ultimately linked Onduto to the infant. The baby girl, who was found wrapped in bloody pantyhose with her umbilical cord still attached, was named Matea by local police after her body was recovered on May 18, 2009.
Onduto was initially viewed as a person of interest shortly after Matea’s death. However, investigators lacked sufficient evidence to detain her, and the case eventually went cold. Progress came years later when DNA analysis determined that Onduto was the birth mother, reigniting the investigation.
Authorities located Onduto in Denver in May, coordinating with local law enforcement ahead of what would have been Matea’s 16th birthday. She was briefly detained but released while prosecutors reviewed the case.
Formal murder charges were filed on July 2. According to investigators, Onduto allegedly confessed to killing the baby shortly after birth, acknowledging that she never intended to keep the child. Officials say she described discarding the newborn in the dumpster and expressed no remorse during questioning.
Union City police have continued to memorialize Matea, holding annual tributes on her birthday and establishing a permanent grave in her honor at a Hayward cemetery in 2017. Police say the investigation is still open and are working to determine any additional details surrounding the case.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office alleges that the infant was drowned in her Union City home before being placed in the dumpster. The baby’s remains were discovered by a man searching for recyclables, prompting a years-long search for her identity and the circumstances surrounding her death.
Onduto remains in custody in Colorado while awaiting extradition to California to face the charges. Local and California authorities say the breakthrough in the case illustrates advances in forensic science and persistence on the part of investigators.
Union City detectives have emphasized that the case is active, and they continue to encourage anyone with information to come forward. Meanwhile, Onduto’s extradition timeline has not been publicly disclosed.