Briant Rodriguez Update 19 May

Two fugitives suspected of kidnapping Briant Rodriguez have been living in San Bernardino County illegally and are possibly hiding out in Mexico, investigators said Monday.

No-bail warrants have been issued for Liberato Vega, 30, and Israel Ledesma Moreno, 28, the two men accused of breaking into the 3-year-old's San Bernardino home May 3 and binding his family with tape before threatening to take the boy to Mexico and kill him.

Briant was found in the border town Mexicali on Thursday night, wandering the streets alone. He remains hospitalized because he is slightly malnourished and extremely fatigued.

Federal warrants also charge Briant's captors with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, opening them up to stricter penalties if caught and convicted.


"We will leave no stone unturned until these two are brought back to San Bernardino County to stand justice," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Don Roberts. "We will not take a break until that happens."

The FBI has put up two $10,000 rewards for information leading to the capture of each suspect.

Vega's girlfriend, 21-year-old Claudia Acosta-Serrano, has been named as a person of interest. She is believed to be traveling with the men.

Investigators said extensive interviews and physical evidence found in Briant's home led them to Vega and Moreno, though they declined to elaborate on specific evidence.

The motive for taking Briant remains a mystery, though a lead investigator said narcotics dealing has not been ruled out.

Briant's parents have adamantly denied being involved in any illegal activity.

"It is likely this family was a target. It's not every day this type of event takes place," said sheriff's Sgt. Doug Hubbard, who is leading the investigation. The crime "seems like it was calculated and planned."

Surveillance footage from a local home improvement store two days before the abduction shows Vega and Moreno buying the same tape that was used to bind Briant's family. A tape taken from a liquor store shows the men speeding out of Briant's neighborhood in a green Ford Bronco three minutes before his mother, Rosana Millan, called 9-1-1.

The fugitives and Acosta-Serrano have addresses listed in Ontario. Vega and Moreno each have previous misdemeanor offenses, primarily for driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license, according to San Bernardino County Superior Court Records.

Vega, whose criminal past here dates back to 2004, has also been convicted of providing false information to police and being under the influence of a controlled substance. Both men, born in Mexico, have been deported at least once.

It is unknown how Acosta-Serrano, who has been convicted of petty theft, is involved with Briant's kidnapping. Detectives suspect she may have been called in to help care for the boy and said they just want to talk to her.

"We believe she met up with them in Mexico," Hubbard said. "She has abruptly left San Bernardino County and vanished."

Other suspects may soon surface since investigators said they believe Vega and Moreno were communicating with someone outside the family's home during the home invasion.

Millan has said that the men were talking to someone on a cell phone or walkie-talkie while they ransacked her house. They took a small amount of cash, her cell phone and Briant.

No one answered the door at Briant's home on Monday. On a concrete pillar out front, well-wishers left a Bible open to Psalm 23, a yellow balloon with "to cheer you" scrawled across it and candles.

Briant's five siblings played in the back yard off and on throughout the day. One of his brothers said he couldn't wait for Briant to come home so he could hug him and give him a miniature toy.

Briant and his mother were flown back to San Bernardino on Saturday afternoon. Doctors have kept the boy hospitalized, though he is expected to be released soon.

Detectives said Briant suffered no physical injuries, though his captors lopped off his shoulder-length brown curly hair.

The boy has not yet been interviewed about what he endured for the 13 days he was missing. Detectives said they want him to readjust to being home with his family before experts begin the questioning process.

Although investigators cannot be sure, it appears that Vega and Moreno released the boy. Authorities are unsure how long Briant was wandering the streets alone before a Mexican police officer spotted him.

Mexican officials launched their own investigation of child abandonment because Briant was found alone, likely wearing the same shirt and shorts as when he disappeared. Detectives said Child Protective Services in Mexico changed his clothes several times.

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