A terrifying new development has emerged in the urgent Amber Alert search for 5-year-old Daleyza Fregoso after newly surfaced surveillance images reportedly captured the missing child traveling near the U.S.-Mexico border alongside a man investigators suspect may be connected to her mother’s violent death.

According to authorities, the images allegedly show 40-year-old Ruben Fregoso with Daleyza in San Diego shortly after 7:30 a.m. Sunday — just hours before investigators believe the pair may have crossed into Mexico.

The alarming discovery dramatically escalated the multi-agency search operation already underway across Southern California after police uncovered the body of an adult woman inside a South Los Angeles residence during a welfare check.

Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded Monday afternoon to a home on South Alsace Avenue in South Los Angeles after concerns were raised regarding the woman’s welfare.

“Upon arrival, officers discovered an adult female deceased inside the residence,” police confirmed in an official statement.

Hours later, the California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Daleyza Fregoso after investigators determined the child was missing and potentially in immediate danger.

Authorities initially misspelled the child’s first name as “Daleza” before later correcting it publicly.

Investigators have not officially confirmed the precise relationship between Ruben Fregoso and Daleyza, though both reportedly share the same last name.

Police sources also revealed investigators became increasingly alarmed after learning Fregoso allegedly made statements suggesting he planned to flee the country.

Now, with surveillance images reportedly placing the suspect and child near the Mexican border, authorities fear the pair may already have crossed internationally before the Amber Alert operation fully intensified.

Federal authorities, border agencies, homicide investigators, and child abduction specialists are now coordinating efforts alongside Mexican law enforcement as the search expands beyond California.

Investigators are reviewing border surveillance footage, vehicle crossings, transportation records, cellphone data, and international travel leads while attempting to locate the missing girl before the situation escalates further.

The shocking case has generated enormous emotional reaction online as social media users across the United States share photographs of Daleyza and distribute Amber Alert information in hopes of helping authorities locate the child safely.

Many commenters described the surveillance images as “haunting” given the context surrounding the investigation into the mother’s death.

Others expressed concern that investigators may now face significant complications if the suspect successfully crossed into Mexico before law enforcement intervention occurred.

Child abduction experts warn that cases involving international flight become dramatically more complex because suspects can move rapidly between jurisdictions while avoiding coordinated detection efforts.

Authorities continue urging the public not to approach Ruben Fregoso directly if spotted, warning he may be dangerous.

Instead, anyone with information regarding Daleyza’s whereabouts is being asked to contact emergency authorities immediately.

Meanwhile, forensic teams remain at the South Los Angeles residence where the woman’s body was discovered as homicide detectives continue reconstructing the timeline leading up to the child’s disappearance.

Police have not yet publicly released details regarding the cause of the woman’s death while the investigation remains active.

The possibility that the suspect fled toward Mexico with the child shortly before the homicide discovery has intensified fears among both investigators and the public.

For many following the heartbreaking case, however, the most chilling detail remains the timing itself:

while authorities were only beginning to uncover a possible murder scene inside a Los Angeles home, surveillance cameras may already have captured the missing little girl traveling toward an international border with the man investigators now desperately want to find.