American Woman Vanished During a Trip to Mexico; Family Says She Was 'Forced Into a Van' While Walking Her Dog
An American woman reportedly went missing during a trip to Mexico late last month, and her family pleaded for help to find her.
According to the family, Monica De Leon, 29, was kidnapped on November 29 at Tepatitlán de Morelos, near Guadalajara city, in Mexico's Jalisco state. A Facebook page entitled "Help Us Find Monica De Leon" was launched earlier this month in an effort to locate the American woman.
According to People, De Leon was heading to FIT 4 LIFE gym when she was allegedly "forced into a van" between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time on November 29. A post on the social media profile added that she was "last seen" while walking her dog that was found alone in the street after she was taken.
De Leon's friend Mandy Shold told KEZI that De Leon was meeting up with friends at the gym and was walking to the gym with her dog before she went missing.
"When she didn't show up to the gym, her gym friends were a little worried, and they went looking for her and found her dog, fully leashed and out loose in the city," Shold told the outlet.
De Leon was reportedly a Hispanic woman, about 5 feet and 5 inches tall, with short black hair and blonde highlights. She was wearing a white beanie, a black t-shirt, and black jeans when she disappeared. The family said her disappearance has already been reported to the U.S. State Department, according to The U.S. Sun.
De Leon's family urged California Senator Alex Padilla and Congresswoman Jackie Speier to help find De Leon. It is still not clear whether there were any witnesses to the kidnapping or if it was captured on surveillance video.
READ NEXT: Mexico: 400 Missing Persons Found Dead in Guanajuato State Plagued by Mexican Drug Cartels
American Woman Monica De Leon Has Family in Mexico
According to Mandy Shold, Monica De Leon graduated from the University of Oregon (UO) in 2015. The American woman is a San Francisco Bay Area, California native.
Shold, who went to school with De Leon, said after the American woman graduated from UO with a degree in film studies, she went back to live in San Francisco Bay Area. According to Shold, De Leon has family in Mexico, and her family "goes on vacations there all the time."
"She's got cousins and uncles, and the opportunity came up early in the summer for her to go down and do some freelance work and really start building her portfolio. She just jumped at the opportunity to change things up," she told KEZI.
In a statement, Del Leon's family asked everyone for continued support by putting pressure on heads of state and influential people to provide all the resources to those helping in her search.
"Continue to spread the word about Monica and reach out to representatives. The more people engage, the more momentum we will have in assistance from the government," they added.
Jackie Speier, who represents San Mateo, told SFGate that her office is working to find De Leon.
"I am actively engaged in the case and in daily contact with the family and various federal agencies. It is imperative that we do everything possible to find Monica," Speier noted.
American Man Disappears in Mexico and Found Dead Days After
A 73-year-old American man also went missing in Baja California Sur in Mexico last October 25. But after two days, the body of Rodney Davis was found on a highway in the nearby city of Loreto.
According to Summit Daily, Davis was reported missing some 48 hours after he departed from his campground at Juncalito Beach. He was reportedly driving his truck toward Loreto for supplies, accompanied by his dog, but never returned to the campsite.
Prosecutors said they had arrested three men and a woman in connection to Davis' disappearance. The three suspects face kidnapping charges. His dog, a springer spaniel, has not been found.
The family offers a $1,000 reward to anyone who finds the dog and returns her to the Baja Safe Humane Society.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Bay Area Woman Allegedly Kidnapped While Walking Puppy in Mexico - From KION News Channel 46