FBI releases chilling footage of California woman’s kidnapping while walking her dog in Mexico

The FBI has released footage of the kidnapping of a California woman who was snatched off the street while walking her dog in Mexico last year.

Monica de Leon Barba, 29, of San Mateo, has not been seen since she was pulled into a van while walking home from work around 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 in Tepatitlán, Jalisco near Guadalajara, according to the FBI.

The feds believe de Leon Barba is still alive and being held hostage by her captors, according to a report.

“The FBI is requesting the public’s assistance in locating Monica and returning her safely to her family. We believe these videos may have generated new public tips to assist in our investigation,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp said in a Thursday afternoon statement.

Tripp told FOX 2 San Francisco that the FBI “believes this was a targeted kidnapping.”

The first video shows de Leon Barba walking with her pup as three vehicles — a silver Volkswagen Jetta, a gray Dodge Charger and a white Chevrolet Suburban — involved in her kidnapping slowly pass by her.

The second clip shows the kidnapping.

Several suspects can be seen getting out of cars and confronting de Leon Barba. They then force her into the Jetta before the suspects speed off in the three cars, the footage shows.

After the vehicles left, video shows de Leon Barba’s dog running around loose in the street. According to the FBI, the dog was located and safely recovered by family members.

“We believe she is still being held hostage. The hostage takers have been in contact with her family and the FBI is working very closely with her family and with authorities in Mexico to bring her home safely,” Tripp told the outlet.

The FBI is offering a $40,000 reward for any information about de Leon Barba’s location.

She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and black pants. She reportedly stands about 5-foot-5 and has short black hair with blonde highlights.