Ana Elizondo: Student Driven Near Mexican Border Tells Story On ‘House Of Horrors: Kidnapped’ On I.D.

The case of Ana Elizondo, the psychology student who was kidnapped, held for ransom, and driven to an area near the Mexican border, will see her story recreated this Tuesday on House of Horrors: Kidnapped, a popular true crime documentary on Investigation Discovery (ID).

Ana Elizondo’s story made headlines in 2012 when she was kidnapped from a parking lot as she left her college class at the University of Texas Pan-Am. The girl endured several hours of tremendous fear as the abductors drove her close to the Mexican border. It had been their intention to cross the border over into Mexico but their plans were foiled.

Despite being in great danger, Elizondo was determined not to show the abductors that she was afraid. She believes that remaining calm helped save her life, she also used humor to keep the kidnappers from killing her.

“I wanted to show them I was strong and that they weren’t affecting me in any way. I didn’t want to show them that side of me so I held in a lot of emotions.”

Elizondo ended up being held at a home for several hours before she was finally rescued. The investigation revealed that the kidnappers targeted Elizondo because of her rich father, a well-known businessman in the area. Ana Elizondo was told that her father lived a secret life selling booze and cigarettes to the Mexican drug cartel. In the end, one of the kidnappers introduced Ana Elizondo to his mother who later moved her to another location so that her parents could pick her up safely.

Here is the tease for House of Horrors: Kidnapped Episode “Cartel from Hell”

“When three men abduct graduate student Ana Elizondo near the Mexican border, she thinks it’s run of the mill border violence. But when Ana’s captors inform her that her father owes them money, everything she thought she knew about him is questioned.”

Today, Ana Elizondo continues to bring awareness to her story through speaking engagements, according to The Pan American Online.

“As I speak to more people…I start to realize it’s very common and that’s the only reason I decided to go public because there’s no point in hiding if everybody is in danger,” the psychology graduate student told The Pan American. “I want to speak out about it. I want to talk about the whole experience because I think it’s a good story to tell.”

The kidnappers: Milton Treviño, Miguel Angel Cruz Navarro, 35, and Onan Herrera-Sanchez, 28, were all arrested for their part in the abduction scheme.

House of Horrors Kidnapped, the TV series docudrama, debuted for the first time on February 26, 2014. Each week a new true crime story is told through interviews and reenactments. Be sure to tune in Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. central on Investigation Discovery.