Woman who was kidnapped and held captive in Mexico is freed after 8 months
07/17/2023 2:06 pm PDT
SAN FRANCISCO (TCD) -- A woman who was kidnapped last winter while walking her dog was released by her captors in Mexico and is returning to the United States.
On July 15, the FBI’s San Francisco bureau released a statement on Twitter announcing Monica De Leon Barba was "safe and en route to the United States, where she will be reunited with her family and dog after spending eight months in captivity."
According to the FBI, Barba was kidnapped in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, Mexico, on Nov. 29, 2022, while walking home from work with her dog. Her captors reportedly let her go July 14. The FBI said she is a U.S. citizen.
In April, the FBI shared a video of her kidnapping and photos of her suspected captors taken from surveillance cameras. The three vehicles investigators believe were involved in her kidnapping include a silver Volkswagen Jetta, a gray Dodge Charger, and a white Chevrolet Suburban.
According to the FBI, “several suspects” approached Barba and "forced her into a gray Volkswagen Jetta." The suspects freed her dog, and a family member reportedly found the pet and recovered it. Following the kidnapping, the suspects drove off in the Jetta, Charger, and Suburban.
None of the suspects have been arrested and the investigation into their identities remains ongoing.
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