California woman goes missing in Mexico while walking dog

A Bay Area family is frantically searching for a woman who went missing in Mexico six days ago while walking her dog.

Monica DeLeon, 29, of San Mateo, Calif., was on her way to a gym last Tuesday, her puppy in tow, when she was forced into a van, her family said in a Facebook post.

She was in the town of Tepatitlan, near Guadalajara in the Mexican state of Jalisco, between 5 and 6 p.m. and has not been seen since. Her puppy was found alone on the street, her family told KTVU-TV.

DeLeon has short black hair with blond highlights and was wearing black clothing when she went missing, family said. They are urging U.S. officials to take up the issue with Mexican authorities, efforts that seem to be bearing fruit.

“I wanted to thank every single one of you for all your efforts. You have been as subtle as a sledge hammer but I think that’s what we needed to get people stateside more involved,” he brother wrote Monday on Facebook. “My family cannot thank you all enough.”