California woman released 8 months after her kidnapping in Mexico

Dakota Smith
·1 min read
Kidnapping Poster - A California woman who was kidnapped while walking her dog last year in Mexico has been released, federal authorities said Saturday. Monica de Leon Barba, 30, of San Mateo, was kidnapped off a sidewalk in Tepatitlán, a city in the western Mexico state of Jalisco, on November 29.
Monica De Leon Barba, 30, of San Mateo, is safe after being kidnapped Nov. 29 as she walked her dog in Tepatitlán, Mexico. (FBI)

A California woman who was kidnapped while walking her dog last year in Mexico has been released, federal authorities said Saturday.

Monica De Leon Barba, 30, of San Mateo, was kidnapped from a sidewalk in Tepatitlán, a city in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, on Nov. 29.

The FBI offered $40,000 for her return and released videos showing the vehicles that her kidnappers used. De Leon Barba's dog was seen running loose in one of the videos, but was later located by a family member, the agency said.

In a statement Saturday, the FBI said De Leon Barba was released Friday night and was "safe and en route" to the U.S. No arrests have been made and the investigation into her captors' identity continues, the agency said.

NBC Bay Area reporter Gia Vang tweeted photos Saturday that showed De Leon Barba reunited with her brother Gustavo and her dog.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.