A San Mateo woman who was kidnapped eight months ago in Mexico is on her way back home, the FBI announced Saturday.
Monica de Leon Barba, 29, went missing on Nov. 29, 2022 while walking her dog in Tepatitlán, Jalisco. Surveillance footage released by the FBI showed Barba appearing to be confronted by several suspects before being forced inside a silver Volkswagen Jetta. The suspects were seen driving away in three different vehicles, including the Jetta, a gray Dodge Charger and a white Chevrolet Suburban, while her dog ran loose in the street.
The videos revealed that at least five suspects were involved in the kidnapping, the FBI said in a news release. Agents believed she was the subject of a “targeted kidnapping” who was holding her hostage.
Barba, a U.S. citizen, was born in Jalisco, and the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office told SFGATE previously that she had been spending most of her time there since June 2022. Barba’s brother, Gustavo de Leon, told SFGATE that Barba’s 20-year-old cousin, Gael de Leon, was also kidnapped in Guadalajara hours after Barba’s disappearance.