Two people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a Los Angeles firefighter who has been missing since August, when he departed on a trip to Mexico.
The arrests took place Thursday night along a highway near Rosarito Beach, south of Tijuana.
The couple arrested were the last two people seen with Francisco “Frank” Aguilar, a 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, according to Chief Prosecutor Hiram Sanchez in the state of Baja California.
The suspects have been identified only as Santos “N” and Fanny “N.” Both are Mexican nationals.
The two apparently had Aguilar’s credit card on them when they were arrested, and the card been used in Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada in recent weeks, according to Border Report, an online news source from KTLA parent company Nexstar.
The suspects were also recorded by surveillance cameras at Aguilar’s condo the night he went missing.
Sanchez said the woman had set a date with Aguilar, who arrived in his SUV to meet her near Rosarito. That’s when the man is believed to have “jumped” Aguilar to try and kidnap him.
Blood was allegedly found in the vehicle and, according to investigators, it appears Aguilar was shot as he tried to flee the car to evade capture. But Aguilar remains missing.
Sanchez said authorities will continue looking for Aguilar “as if he is alive.”
The two suspects have denied knowing or ever meeting Aguilar. They are facing forced disappearance and theft charges.
Aguilar, 48, had gone to his property in Northern Baja California in late August to check on his condo.
