California
California mom wanted for kidnapping toddler son, fleeing to Mexico
A California mother is believed to have kidnapped her toddler son and fled over the border into Mexico.
Brigette Benitez, 31, failed to return her 16-month-old son, Miguel Eduardo Medina, to his foster family following a scheduled, unmonitored visit in Walnut on Feb. 6, according to the FBI.
Benitez is believed to have crossed into Mexico at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego that same day.
Neither Benitez nor Medina’s father has legal custody of the child, ABC7 reported.
Miguel’s father, Miguel Eduardo Medina, Sr., has a history of violent offenses, including a prior arrest for alleged domestic violence, authorities told the outlet.
A federal arrest warrant for Benitez was issued Thursday, and she was charged with international parental kidnapping, ABC7 said.
Benitez and her son were last seen in a black 2021 Toyota Camry with California license plates, according to the FBI.
She may have taken the child to Aguascalientes, in central Mexico.