A Fresno woman has admitted to her role in a kidnapping that involved transporting a mother and her 9-year-old daughter from Fresno, California, to Tijuana, Mexico. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, Claudia Gonzales, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnapping involving a minor.
Court records state that on May 8, 2024, following a domestic violence incident reported by the victim against her boyfriend—which led to his arrest—the boyfriend’s sister, Rosa Ventura, persuaded the woman to leave her 5-month-old daughter with another family member. Ventura then drove the woman and her older daughter away from Fresno with Gonzales concealed in the vehicle’s cargo area.
The documents detail that at an isolated field outside Fresno, Gonzales moved into the front seat. Throughout the night, Ventura and Gonzales continued driving their two victims toward Mexico against their will. At one stop at a gas station, both mother and child attempted to escape but were forced back into the car—Gonzales chased down the girl while both defendants used a stun gun on the mother.
Upon arrival in Tijuana, Ventura and Gonzales left the victims at an unknown bus station. The purpose was reportedly to prevent the mother from testifying in an ongoing domestic violence case where she was listed as a victim.
The youngest child remained separated from her mother in Fresno for several months until November 2024.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting.
Gonzales is scheduled for sentencing on May 18, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. She faces between 20 years and life imprisonment along with a possible $250,000 fine; however, final sentencing will depend on various factors considered by the court under federal guidelines.
Ventura is expected to stand trial on April 23, 2026. If convicted of similar charges, she could face up to life in prison and substantial fines as well; however these remain allegations unless proven beyond reasonable doubt.
