Firefighter who vanished amid botched kidnapping found dead in Mexico, CA cops say

The remains of a Los Angeles firefighter were discovered in Mexico after he was shot during an attempted kidnapping, California authorities said.

Los Angeles Fire Department public information officer Erik Scott confirmed Wednesday that the body of Francisco “Frank” Aguilar has been found, according to a news release.

“This is a tragic outcome to a case we were hoping would end differently,” LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said in a statement. “On behalf of the men and women of the LAFD, we send our deepest condolences to Firefighter Aguilar’s family and we stand ready to assist them in the days to come.”

Aguilar, 48, vanished in August and traveled to Mexico to check on a condo that his family rented, McClatchy News reported. His jeep was missing and his home was ransacked.

Surveillance footage showed people were inside Aguilar’s condo before his disappearance, according to McClatchy News.

A woman and man were arrested last month near Rosarito Beach near Tijuana, CBS News reported. Aguilar’s belongings were found in their possession and they face homicide charges, according to the outlet.

Aguilar was lured to a meeting by a woman named Fanny “N,” and people were planning to kidnap him and hold him for ransom, according to Hiram Sánchez, Baja California central state prosecutor, CBS News reported. A man named Santos “N” allegedly shot him and the couple cremated him, Sánchez said.

This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Firefighter who vanished amid botched kidnapping found dead in Mexico, CA cops say."