Arizona Couple Arrested For Kidnapping Children Found in Mexico After 6 Years

Two individuals, Authorities have announced that a couple were taken into custody in Mexico this month, almost six years after they reportedly abducted their children in Tucson during a supervised visit.

Last week, the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Arizona announced that Luis Alberto Herrera-Ramirez and Andrea Vanessa Ramirez were apprehended on April 5 in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

The extradition process has not yet been resolved, so the Ramirez’s will continue to stay in Mexico.

According to officials, the parents were participating in a monitored visit with their 5-year-old son and 6-month-old daughter, accompanied by a Department of Child Safety case worker, at Silverlake Park on May 4, 2018.

According to reports, the Ramirez’s purportedly used a Taser to intimidate a worker, then proceeded to bind her to a tree and escape with the children. Fortunately, a passerby discovered the employee, freed her, and contacted 911. Subsequently, an Amber Alert was issued for the missing children.

The parents were under bond as they had been charged with 20 counts of sexually exploiting a minor. It should be noted that the child involved in the incident was not their own.

On May 3, 2019, the Pima County Superior Court found Herrera-Ramirez and Ramirez guilty in absentia on the indicted charges, including sexual abuse of minors, sexual exploitation, manufacture of child pornography, aggravated assault, kidnapping and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Shortly after, the U.S. Marshals Service elevated the investigation to major case status.

The abduction was highlighted in the episode of “America’s Most Wanted” on January 22, 2024. Several tips came in that the Ramirez’s had been residing in the central Mexican city for a number of years, which led to the U.S. Marshals being informed they could find the pair in Aguascalientes, Mexico using false identities

Collaborating with Interpol, the U.S. Marshal and Mexican authorities detained the couple.

The children arrived in Arizona Thursday night and were reunited with family members. Their parents will remain in custody in Mexico pending their return to Arizona.

Luis is now 12 years old and Kahmila is 6. Their aunt, Erika Ramirez has reported they are healthy and doing ok.

The U.S. Marshals Service released the following statement:

“Of all of the dangerous fugitives the U.S. Marshals arrest, the individuals who are charged with crimes against minors are especially important to us,” said acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Arizona Van Bayless. “The tireless work and cooperation between local, federal and international law enforcement agencies ensured those who violate the trust of children are held responsible for their actions.”

“After five years of hard work, diligence, and perseverance by our federal, state, and local partners, two violent criminals have been apprehended and these children have been brought home safely,” said Tucson Chief of Police Chad E. Kasmar, “When Luis Herrera-Ramirez and Andrea Ramirez committed an unthinkable crime against children and violently assaulted a DCS worker, it deeply affected our Tucson community. I am grateful for the hard work of all our partners in this multijurisdictional operation.”