(KRON) — The FBI San Francisco released new surveillance videos Thursday showing a group of men kidnapping a Bay Area woman in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, Mexico.
Monica De Leon Barba, 29, of San Mateo, is a United States citizen who was living in Mexico before she was abducted. On November 29, 2022, she was walking her puppy home down a sidewalk when five men forced her into a van.
Her whereabouts are still unknown.
“The FBI is requesting the public’s assistance in locating Monica and returning her safely to her
family. We believe these videos may help generate new public tips to assist in our investigation,”
said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. “The FBI is offering a reward of up to
$40,000 for information leading to Monica’s recovery. If you know anything, please come
forward to law enforcement.”
The FBI said the first video shows De Leon Barba walking with her dog. The second video depicts the kidnappers and their vehicles. “This video indicates at least five suspects were involved in the kidnapping. Monica was confronted by several suspects and forced into a gray Volkswagen Jetta. The suspects then drove away in three different vehicles,” the FBI wrote.
A silver Volkswagen Jetta, white Chevrolet Suburban, and a gray Dodge Charger can be seen in the videos.
The woman’s puppy was left alone in the street before it was later found unharmed by a family member.
Anyone with information about the physical location of Monica De Leon Barba should contact an FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. You can also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or call the FBI’s Toll-Free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
De Leon Barba was described as 5’5″ tall, has short black and blonde hair, and was wearing black clothing.
