Brigette Benitez: Woman allegedly kidnaps her 16-month-old son from foster family and flees to Mexico
WALNUT, CALIFORNIA: Federal authorities are searching for a California woman who allegedly abducted her 16-month-old biological son before fleeing across the southern US border into Mexico.
Brigette Benitez, 31, is wanted by the FBI after she allegedly failed to return her son Miguel Eduardo Zuniga Medina Jr to his foster family following an unsupervised visit, as per New York Post.
Benitez picked up her son in Walnut, California, for a scheduled, unsupervised visit on February 6. However, at the end of the visit, Benitez, who does not have legal custody of her son, did not return him to his legal guardian, according to the FBI.
The two were last seen in a black 2021 Toyota Camry with the California license plate 8WAS968.
What charges does Brigette Benitez face?
Benitez was charged with international parental kidnapping. A federal arrest warrant was issued for her on Thursday, March 7.
The FBI said Benitez may have taken Miguel to Aguascalientes, Mexico, where his non-custodial father is believed to live. According to KTLA, investigators said Benitez crossed the border into Mexico on February 6 at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego County.
Miguel Eduardo Medina Jr's father was arrested last year
Miguel's father was arrested last year for an alleged domestic violence incident in Los Angeles County. Medina Sr also has a history of violence in the presence of children, as per the FBI.
Benitez and Medina Sr lost custody of their son following the arrest and Miguel was placed in the custody of Child and Family Services.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Benitez or her son is urged to call their local FBI office or the nearest US Embassy or Consulate.
Wisconsin boy Elijah Vue is reported missing and believed to be in imminent danger
MEAWW previously reported that a missing three-year-old boy from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, was kidnapped and is believed to be in imminent danger, as per Wisconsin authorities. However, there are no descriptions of any potential suspects or vehicles.
Elijah Vue was last seen on Tuesday morning, February 20, at around 8 am at a home on Mishicot Road in Two Rivers, about 45 miles southeast of Green Bay. Elijah was reported missing by an "adult caretaker," police said, according to Fox 11.
The child is three feet tall, weighs around 45 pounds, and has blondish hair and brown eyes. Police described him as a mix of "Hmong and White ethnicity."
"Search efforts by local, state, and federal agencies continue for a missing three-year-old boy named Elijah," Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said in a statement Tuesday night, February 20, adding "We continue to follow up on all tips related to the search."
