Woman pleads guilty to conspiracy in kidnapping retaliation plot in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A Fresno woman has pleaded guilty in a case federal prosecutors say involved abducting a mother and her child and driving them to Mexico to keep the mother from testifying in a domestic violence case.

39-year-old Claudia Gonzales of Fresno pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap involving a minor, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, the case began on May 8, 2024, after a woman reported her boyfriend following a domestic violence incident, which resulted in his arrest.

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Prosecutors say that in retaliation for calling police, the boyfriend’s sister, 35-year-old Rosa Ventura of Fresno, persuaded the woman to place her 5-month-old daughter in the care of another sister.

Ventura then drove the woman and her 9-year-old daughter to an unknown field outside Fresno, with Gonzales hiding in the back of the SUV, according to court documents.

At the field, Gonzales came out of the rear cargo area and sat in the front seat.

Throughout the night, Ventura and Gonzales continued to drive the mother and child against their will toward the Mexican border, court documents say.

At one point, they stopped at a gas station where the mother and child attempted to escape, but prosecutors say Gonzales chased the 9-year-old girl and forced her back into the car.

Gonzales and Ventura then caught the mother and used a stun gun to physically force her back into the car, according to court documents.

When Gonzales and Ventura arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, prosecutors say they dropped the mother and daughter at an unknown bus station in an effort to prevent the mother from testifying in the domestic violence case.

Gonzales is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18th, where she faces a statutory minimum of 20 years to a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Ventura is set to go to trial on April 23rd. If convicted, she also faces a statutory minimum penalty of 20 years to a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.