A Los Angeles man was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint during a visit to Mexico, with his suspected captors sending graphic videos and a threatening photo to his family. According to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, the victim was blindfolded, tied up in a rectangular concrete trench, and had weapons pointed at his head.
The suspects, identified as members of a Mexican family—Mario Alex Medina (aka “Shyboy”), his son, Jose Salud Medina (aka “Gordo”), and Mario’s sister, Maria Alejandra Medina—allegedly pistol-whipped their victim and fired a shot near his head. The violent encounter was recorded and sent to the victim’s family in L.A. with ransom demands of $70,000, according to federal prosecutors.
The victim, identified as “R.V.” in court filings, was abducted while in Playas de Rosarito, a popular surfing destination in Baja California, in 2022. Prosecutors revealed details of the scheme after the three suspects were arrested earlier this year.
R.V., who has family in Los Angeles but holds Mexican citizenship, was kidnapped by the Medina family on November 5, 2022. Over the next two days, his family received distressing photos and videos of R.V. in captivity, including one where he was blindfolded and restrained in a concrete trench with guns aimed at his head. On November 7, the family received a video showing the kidnappers beating R.V. with fists, feet, and a hammer.
Initially, the kidnappers demanded a $70,000 ransom. By November 10, Jose Medina, 31, allegedly threatened to kill R.V. if the family did not immediately pay $30,000.
That same day, the suspects crossed the border to San Ysidro, California, to collect the ransom. They met the family at a McDonald’s, where the family handed over $30,000. Maria Medina, 50, assured the family of R.V.’s safety before the kidnappers returned to Mexico.
On November 11, Mexican law enforcement discovered R.V. “tied up and alone in a small subterranean trench,” according to court documents. The suspects managed to evade capture for nearly two years until their arrests in March and April this year. They were each indicted by a federal grand jury on April 9 on charges of making foreign communication with intent to extort, which carries a maximum life sentence.
Maria and Mario have been held in federal custody in the U.S. since their arrests in March and April, respectively. Jose is currently in a Mexican prison, facing medical complications that have delayed his extradition to the U.S.
This abduction occurred in the same area where an American engaged to be married and two Australians were killed during a botched carjacking in May. Each suspect in R.V.’s kidnapping is represented by a different federal defender in the Central District of California.
