The FBI declared on Saturday that a San Mateo woman who had been kidnapped eight months ago in Mexico is now returning home.

Monica de Leon Barba, aged 29, went missing on November 29, 2022, while walking her dog in Tepatitlán, Jalisco.

Surveillance footage released by the FBI displayed Barba appearing to be confronted by multiple suspects before being forcibly taken into a silver Volkswagen Jetta.

The suspects fled the scene in three different vehicles, including the Jetta, a gray Dodge Charger, and a white Chevrolet Suburban, while Barba’s dog was left behind on the street, the San Francisco Gate has reported.

Based on the videos, the FBI disclosed that at least five suspects were involved in the kidnapping. Agents believed that Barba was specifically targeted and held captive.

As a U.S. citizen, Barba was born in Jalisco, and according to the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office, she had been spending most of her time there since June 2022.

Additionally, it was revealed that Barba’s 20-year-old cousin, Gael de Leon, was also kidnapped in Guadalajara a few hours after Barba’s disappearance, as confirmed by Barba’s brother, Gustavo de Leon.

The FBI recently announced that both Barba and de Leon have been released by their captors on Friday night and are now en route back to the United States.

Written by staff