A firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department who went missing in Mexico last week appears to have been the victim of a “violent kidnapping,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. Francisco Aguilar was last heard from on Aug. 21 when he left for his condo in Rosarito for a weekend trip, and investigators have found signs of violence in the residence, leading them to believe that he was taken. “I want to say very clearly to anyone who would kidnap a member of our fire department that this is a member not just of our city government family, but of our community here in Los Angeles,” said Garcetti on Wednesday. “We will work tirelessly to make sure that Frank is returned safely.” The mayor added: “If this message gets to anyone who would dare kidnap an Angeleno who serves the people of Los Angeles, let him go and make sure he is able to safely return to our city and to his family.” Aguilar’s brother Gabriel said he went to Mexico to help the search, and found his condo ransacked and his cars missing.
