Loved ones of Monica De Leon Barba are breathing a sigh of relief.
The American who lived in Mexico and was kidnapped there while walking with her dog last November was released Friday from her captors, according to the FBI. De Leon Barba was reunited with her family and friends in San Mateo, California, FBI special agent in charge Robert K. Tripp said.
“The FBI is pleased to announce that Monica De Leon Barba is safe and en route to the US where he will be reunited with her family and dog after spending eight months in captivity,” the FBI in San Francisco said in a Twitter post on Saturday.
“I think we can all breathe a little bit easier,” Anissa Livas, a close friend of De Leon Barba, told KGO-TV Saturday.
De Leon Barba’s abduction was among the more highly-publicized kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Mexico, including four Americans from Brownsville, Texas in a violent kidnapping in March by a cartel in the Mexican border town of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Two Americans kidnapped were killed, while two others survived and returned home. The cartel later apologized.
De Leon Barba’s kidnapping led to family, friends pleading with President Biden
De Leon Barba was kidnapped in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, Mexico on November 22, 2022, as she was walking home from work with her dog. Surveillance video captured the abduction where De Leon Barba was confronted by at least five suspects and forced into a gray Volkswagen Jetta. The suspects then drove away in three different vehicles.
Her dog ran away and was later retrieved and given to De Leon Barba’s family.
It was believed that De Leon Barba was the victim of a “targeted kidnapping,” in the central Mexico town, FBI officials said hen. In March, the FBI announced a $40,000 reward for information about her disappearance, also releasing a video of the kidnapping.
Terrified family and friends in California, including Livas, publicly pleaded for De Leon Barba’s release ranging from local and state authorities and officials to even President Biden.
“You know, I’m not sure how much our efforts helped to bring her home. I’d like to think they helped a little bit, but we’re just so happy she’s back,” Livas told KGO-TV on Saturday.
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Kidnap victim’s family members rejoice in her return
Meanwhile, De Leon Barba’s are celebrating her return from captivity. She is seen in a photo flashing a peace sign alongside her brother, Gustavo De Leon, who shared a heartfelt message on Facebook.
“For the first time in a very long time we have good news! I need to thank every single person that helped my family and I through this entire ordeal,” Gustavo De Leon said. “We can all finally close this chapter in our lives and work on the long road of healing we have ahead.”
Another family member was also kidnapped separately and released
De Leon Barba’s cousin, Gael De Leon, was kidnapped in a separate incident, the FBI said. Authorities said that Gael De Leon has also been released from her captors and is reunited with her family in Mexico.
Tripp said no arrests have been made as the probes into the abductions of De Leon Barba and her cousin are ongoing. It is also unclear how and where De Leon Barba and her cousin were freed as details have not been immediately released.
“The FBI investigation is far from over, but we can now work this case knowing an innocent victim is reunited with her family,” Tripp said in Saturday’s tweet where also he thanked De Leon Barba’s family, her community and local law enforcement. “They never forgot Monica, and neither did we.”
