Monica de Leon Barba update: The California woman who was kidnapped in Mexico last year has been found, says the FBI
Sunday, July 16 2023 20:12
SAN FRANCISCO — A woman who was kidnapped in Mexico last year has been found, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
San Mateo resident Monica de Leon Barba was freed by her captors on July 14, the FBI said.
On November 29, 2022, he was kidnapped in Patitlán, Jalisco, Mexico, while he was walking home from work with his dog, the FBI said.
Barba has grown up living most of her life in California before moving to Mexico for work opportunities in photography.
The FBI said he was safe and would return to his family in the United States.
“Over the past eight months, FBI personnel in California and Mexico have worked tirelessly with families and partners here and in Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp of the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office. “Our relief and joy at the safe return of Monica and Gael is profound. The FBI investigation is far from over, but we can now enter this case knowing that the innocent victim has been reunited with her family. On behalf of the FBI, I would like to express my gratitude heartfelt thanks to our law enforcement partners, to the family, and to the community of San Mateo for their continued involvement and advocacy. They have never forgotten Monica, and neither have we.”
No arrests have been made as authorities continue to search for the suspects.
Meanwhile, a Southern California family continues to search for their mother who was also kidnapped in Mexico.
Sixty-three year old Maria Del Carmen Lopez was taken from her home in Mexico in February.
His family continues to raise awareness about his passing.
Her daughter, Zonia Lopez, reacted to news of Barba being found in Mexico.
He said it gave them hope of finding their mother too.
The FBI is also working on the Lopez case.
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