Toddler went back to Southern California after being abducted to Mexico

A young child who was abducted and required to Mexico in February has actually been safely gone back to Southern California.

The kid, who is 17 months old, was identified as Miguel Eduardo Zuniga Medina, Jr., according to the FBI.

On Feb. 6, the young boy's mom, Brigette Benitez, 31, who does not have custody of the child, was scheduled for a not being watched visit with the kid in Walnut.

Instead of returning the kid to his legal guardian, she took him and brought him throughout the border to Mexico, authorities said, crossing through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego County.

The next day, a federal arrest warrant was filed for Benitez, charging her with international parental kidnapping.

Benitez took the child to the Aguascalientes area where his dad, who also doesn't have custody, was thought to be living.

The FBI is browsing for her location.

The boy's daddy, Miguel Eduardo Zuniga Medina, Sr., was jailed in 2023 for a declared domestic violence incident and has a "history of engaging in violent altercations in the presence of kids," according to court files.

After he was jailed, the toddler was put into the custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

" The Superior Court in Los Angeles County discovered that it was required to eliminate Zuniga Medina, Jr. from his parents for his own health, safety, and wellness," authorities stated.

Last Friday, the kid was found by authorities in Mexico and was reminded Los Angeles. He was put with a foster household and appeared to be healthy and safe, FBI officials said.

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His mother was deported by Mexican authorities and stays in custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The case was examined by numerous firms including the FBI, LASD, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the United States Marshals Service and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, with help from a number of law enforcement agencies in Mexico.

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