A Mexican actor and a French tourist were kidnapped Sunday on the Xinantécatl volcano, better known as the Nevado de Toluca, a popular hiking area in México state.

Unofficial reports state that the actor was Alejandro Sandi, 37, who has appeared in a number of television series including the popular telenovela El Señor de los Cielos (Lord of the Skies). The French tourist was identified as Frederic Michel.

According to police, the victims, who were traveling separately, were near the top of the mountain when they were kidnapped.

A witness traveling with Sandi, 39-year-old Vanesa Arias of Mexico City, told police they were stopped in their vehicle around 8:45am. The kidnappers forced her and another friend out of the car and escaped in it, taking the actor with them.

Meanwhile, Mathieu Noirot Julien told police a similar story. He said that he and his friend Michel were riding in a Toyota truck when they were forced to stop. The kidnappers forced him out and took the truck with Michel in it.

A search effort led by the National Guard and state and local police was initiated after the reports were filed.

As of Monday morning, there were still no reports of the victims’ whereabouts or whether the kidnappers had made contact with their families.

Neither Attorney General Alejandro Gómez Sánchez nor his office had issued an official statement related to the case.

According to the National Public Security System (SESNSP), kidnappings have increased by 9% in the first year of President López Obrador’s administration.

There were 1,273 reported kidnappings from January to October 2018, and 1,392 in the same period in 2019, amounting to 119 more cases during the new administration.

Source: El Financiero (sp)