The FBI is asking for the public’s help to find a woman and her 16-month-old son, whom she has been charged with kidnapping from his foster parent, then possibly fleeing to Mexico.
Agents are seeking the whereabouts of Brigette Benitez, 31, and her biological child, Miguel Eduardo Zuniga Medina Jr., missing for more than a month, according to Laura Eimiller of the FBI in a statement.
The woman and her son were last seen in a black 2021 Toyota Camry with California license plate number 8WAS968 following an unsupervised visit on Feb. 6 in Walnut, east of Los Angeles.
Investigators established that Benitez crossed into Mexico that same day at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
Benitez, who does not have custody of the boy, is believed to have taken him to Aguascalientes after failing to return him to the foster home, where he had been placed by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Miguel Eduardo Zuniga Medina Sr., the non-custodial father of Medina Jr., is believed to be living in Aguascalientes, according to the FBI.
A federal arrest warrant for Benitez was obtained by authorities Thursday after she was charged with international parental kidnapping in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
The complaint alleges that Benitez intentionally obstructed the Department of Children and Family Services, which “holds legal and physical custody of Medina Jr.,” Eimiller said.
Medina Sr., according to the FBI, suspected of domestic violence, was arrested last year, and has a history of engaging in violent altercations in the presence of children. Social workers, prompted by the arrest, removed the boy from his parents’ custody.
Benitez and Medina Sr. also have been charged in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Multiple agencies are assisting the FBI on the case, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Benitez or her son was asked to call a local FBI office or nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Information may be provided online.
– Staff and wire reports