Horrifying Virtual Kidnapping Targets Central Coast Family

WATSONVILLE, CA — A Central Coast family's vacation to Mexico turned into a nightmare that led to an FBI investigation with much help from the Watsonville Police Department. Now officials are warning the public about it. The family agreed to let the Watsonville PD share their story, but asked for anonymity as they are still grappling with the trauma.

As part of their spring break vacation this year, the family of four headed to Puerto Vallarta and then to Guadalajara, which is where the horror began.

“We went to Puerto Vallarta it was fun. The boys swim in the pool, in the water, in the beach; it was really good and fun. After that, we went to Guadalajara and, so, everything changed,” the mother of two told Watsonville PD.

The family received a late-night phone call at the Guadalajara hotel they were staying at. A male voice on the other end, said, "We’re going over there and get in the room and kill you, all you guys, or cut you up,” the mother remembered. “It was hard, so we did exactly what they want.”

The family was being held hostage by virtual kidnappers who often use extremely violent language to terrorize their victims into complying with demands.

“In virtual kidnappings, the criminals don’t take the victim. They never see each other face-to-face. Everything is done over the phone,” explained Watsonville Police Detective Gustavo Zamora. “These scammers, they do targeted calls. They convince the people that they’re being kidnapped and then they ask for a ransom.”

The family was forced to give up their relatives’ contact information, were told to purchase a pre-paid phone and stay off all other personal phones, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get ahold of them.

“They want money and they want it fast before their victims and the families realize that it’s a scam,” Zamora said. “In this case, the virtual kidnappers called the (victims’) family here in Watsonville multiple times and demanded money. They threatened to kill the family and their children if they didn’t pay the $50,000 ransom.”

The victims’ family members went to the Watsonville Police Department, and the FBI was called in. After investigating for nearly 30 hours, a Mexican anti-kidnapping team found the family cooped up in the hotel room, Zamora said.

“They show me the badge and told me, ‘Oh you’re safe, just hang up the phone. Don’t listen to them. This is over.’ I realized that we were safe. I cried, I start crying a lot,” the mother remembered.

The FBI suspected it was dealing with a virtual kidnapping and confirmed it as soon as agents tracked the caller’s phone to a Mexican prison, according to Zamora.

“The FBI has found that many of these calls originate from the inside of Mexican prisons. These people have all the time in the world to make these calls using smuggled phones while working with others on the outside," Zamora said. “If you ever get a call like this, hang up, do not engage, never give them any personal information and call law enforcement right away."

Since returning to the Central Coast, the family has been receiving victim’s services from the FBI to overcome the traumatic experience.

The family hopes others can learn from the case.

“Be safe, to tell where you’re going, where you’re at — the communication with your family," the mother said. "If you’re going to a simple store, a simple hotel, wherever you go, just give the information to your family and be safe."

For more on virtual kidnappings and how to stay safe, visit https://logictreeit.page.link/wLKf

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