Left: Surveillance video of Monica De Leon Barba walking her dog moments before she was kidnapped. Right: An image of Barba released by the FBI (images via FBI).
A California woman who was kidnapped in November while walking her dog in Mexico has been found alive and is on her way back home.
Monica De Leon Barba was confronted and taken by multiple captors as she walked home from work with her dog on Nov. 29, 2022, in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, Mexico, the FBI said in a statement.
“The FBI is pleased to announce that Monica De Leon Barba is safe and en route to the United States, where she will be reunited with her family and dog after spending eight months in captivity,” the statement said.
Her kidnappers are still unknown and no arrests have been made, the FBI said. The investigation is ongoing.
“Our relief and joy at the safe return of Monica is profound,” Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp said in the statement. “The FBI investigation is far from over, but we can now work this case knowing an innocent victim is reunited with her family.”
In April, the FBI San Francisco office released two videos depicting Barba’s kidnapping and offering a reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to her recovery.
One video “depicts Monica walking her dog in the moments before she was kidnapped,” the FBI says, before showing three vehicles apparently used in the commission of the kidnapping: a silver Volkswagen Jetta, a gray Dodge Charger, and a white Chevrolet suburban.
The second video purportedly shows the kidnappers and their vehicles.
“Monica was confronted by several suspects and forced into a gray Volkswagen Jetta,” the statement says. “The suspects then drive away in three different vehicles, including the Jetta. Monica’s dog is shown in the video loose in the street. Her dog was later safely located and recovered by a family member.”
According to the FBI, the video shows that at least five suspects were involved in Barba’s kidnapping.
CBS News reported that Barba, 40, is from San Mateo, a suburb of San Francisco located around 20 miles from the city.
She had grown up in California and lived most of her life there before moving to Mexico for a job opportunity in photography, ABC News reported.
In the statement, Tripp thanked law enforcement partners, Barba’s family, and “the San Mateo community for their continued engagement and advocacy.”
“They never forgot Monica, and neither did we,” Tripp added.
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