SEATTLE — A Federal Way man is facing kidnapping charges after allegedly abducting a pregnant woman at gunpoint from her Auburn home and transporting her to Mexico.
Daniel Lopez, 24, was federally indicted earlier this month after being arrested in Texas in mid-October. Lopez is accused of kidnapping Jackelin Perez, 21, on Oct. 13.
Witnesses reported seeing the woman leave her apartment with two men, including Lopez, who had a firearm, prosecutors say. Traffic camera pictures also were able to determine Lopez was the registered owner of the one of the vehicles involved in the abduction, prosecutors say.
Lopez was eventually tracked to Houston, where he was arrested at a hotel in on Oct. 19. Perez was identified by immigration officials in southern Mexico and eventually got back to Guatemala, where she had family.
Perez had moved to Auburn about five months ago with her husband and speaks limited English. Police said she has lived in the United States for about one year, but was living in Guatemala before. She was six weeks pregnant when the Auburn Police Department (APD) shared the news that she had made it back to Guatemala.
Law enforcement says there are likely co-conspirators that officials are working to identify and arrest.
Prosecutors say kidnapping is punishable by up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
