Monterey County authorities said the discoveries near Moss Landing and Salinas are being investigated as separate incidents.
SALINAS, Calif. — Detectives are investigating after an infant’s body and another set of human remains were found about 90 minutes apart Saturday at two locations in Monterey County, authorities said.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office described the discoveries as separate incidents and said detectives were working to determine what happened in each case. Officials had not released the identities of either person, their causes of death or information indicating that criminal activity occurred. The two locations are about 17 miles apart.
Deputies, firefighters and emergency medical personnel responded shortly after 8:30 a.m. Aug. 1 to the 100 block of Struve Road in the Moss Landing area after receiving a report that an infant had been found, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Fire personnel confirmed that the child was dead.
Authorities did not disclose the infant’s age, sex or identity. They also did not say who found the child, how long the body may have been at the location or what circumstances led to the death. The site is in northern Monterey County near the coastal community of Moss Landing.
At about 9:55 a.m., deputies were called to the 400 block of Old Stage Road in the Salinas area after a Monterey County employee found what appeared to be human remains, officials said. The Sheriff’s Office did not identify the employee or explain what work was being performed when the remains were discovered.
Investigators had not determined publicly whether the second remains belonged to an adult or a child. No information was released about the person’s age, sex or identity, and authorities did not say how long the remains may have been at the site.
The Sheriff’s Office referred to the discoveries as two separate cases. Officials had not announced evidence connecting them, despite their being reported on the same morning. Commander Andres Rosas said detectives were actively investigating both incidents and that no further details were available.
Each death will require investigators to establish the person’s identity and determine the cause and manner of death. Those findings may depend on examinations by the county coroner’s office, but authorities had not announced when additional information might be released.
No arrests, suspects or criminal charges had been announced as of Wednesday. Officials also had not said whether either location was being treated as a crime scene or whether investigators believed the remains had been moved from another place.
The investigations remain active. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information about either discovery to contact investigators as detectives continue working to identify the deceased and reconstruct the circumstances surrounding both deaths.
Author note: Last updated August 5, 2026.