kidnapped child – A 5-year-old girl who was taken after her mother was killed has been found safe in Mexico. Her father, Ruben Fregoso, was arrested over the weekend and will be extradited to the United States, Los Angeles police said.
For three weeks, Southern California searched for a missing 5-year-old after an Amber Alert was issued on May 25. Now, Los Angeles police say the child has been found safe in Mexico—and that the man accused of taking her after killing her mother has been arrested.
Ruben Fregoso, 40, was apprehended in Mexico over the weekend, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release. The department said Fregoso fled to Mexico after police say he killed his 36-year-old girlfriend and then abducted their daughter.
The child, Daleza Fregoso, is a United States citizen, police said. The LAPD said she was located safely and is in the custody of Mexican officials.
Police said the extradition process is underway, and Daleza is expected to be reunited with her family in Los Angeles in the coming days.
While the LAPD identified the suspect as Ruben Fregoso, Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged him under the name Ruben Fregosojuarez. The charges include one count of murder and one misdemeanor count of child abuse under circumstance or conditions other than great bodily injury or death.
If convicted as charged, Fregoso faces 25 years to life in state prison.
The case began with a welfare check in the 2600 block of South Alsace Avenue in West Adams on May 25, when authorities found the body of Marysol Garcia inside. Police said Garcia died “as a result of violence,” and her daughter was missing.
The search quickly widened. Authorities issued an Amber Alert in Southern California on May 25 for Daleza Fregoso.
After the alert was issued, police said Fregoso’s 2019 Land Rover Discovery vehicle was found abandoned near the border.
Daleza’s recovery comes as the legal process shifts from the frantic search to the slow work of bringing the accused back to face charges. For now. police say the child is safe—an abrupt end to days of unanswered questions that began with a welfare check and an Amber Alert issued in the early hours of May 25.
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