Vallejo Police seek public's help in locating kidnap for ransom victim

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Police in Vallejo are asking for the public’s help to locate a victim in a kidnapping for ransom case.  57-year-old Elvira Babb was last seen on June 29th at the Seafood City Market in Vallejo where a co-worker had dropped her off, just a mile from her house. 


A day later, her son John Babb of San Francisco, received a text message from an unknown number.  The sender claimed to have kidnapped Elvira Babb, and demanded an unknown sum of cash. 

If the cash, which police said was an amount less than $100,000, was not received, the sender threatened to harm Elvira Babb, according to police.


John Babb called police and when officers went into Babb’s apartment on Daniels Avenue in Vallejo, they found her dog, a brown Chihuahua, dead, but there was no sign or Babb, and no sign of forced entry.


“The victim’s been gone for a week so it causes us some concern,” said Jeff Bassett of the Vallejo Police Department.  “We’re hopeful we’ll be able to locate her alive.”


Investigators followed the trail provided by the text message and late Friday night, police and the FBI arrested four suspects in the Sacramento area. 

Police named their primary suspect as Emmanuel Espinoza, 26, of Stockton.  Also under arrest were Jalon Brown, 32, and Larry Young, 23, both of Sacramento. 

A 27-year-old woman from Vallejo, Lovely Rauzol, was also taken into custody. 

Police say all four suspects are in the Solano County Jail facing kidnapping charges.

Police say the suspects know the victim but wouldn’t say how they know her. 

At least two neighbors, when shown photos of Espinoza, recognized him as the former occupant of one of the units in the house shared by Babb.


Patricia Carr is a neighbor who said she knew Babb as “Elvy” and said Babb’s husband died a few years ago, and that Babb lived alone with her dog. 

“She was very nice, sweet, very quiet, she always had a smile on her face,” Carr said. 

Carr said Babb was having trouble making ends meet, and that there seemed little motive for a ransom, at least as far as Babb herself was concerned. 

“I just hope they find her alive.  I want her to come home,” Carr said.

Citizens can provide information to the Vallejo PD at 800-488-9383.