According to Illinois authorities, the story you are about to read was real, even though it may read almost entirely like a plot from a crime series. A Texas woman tried to kidnap two children and smuggle them into Mexico after being recruited for the job by a father who was not the child’s legal guardian. When Illinois police stepped in at Chicago’s Midway International Airport to stop the minors from being flown away, the plan fell apart.
Cindy Sanchez, 47, of Fort Worth, was taken into custody last week and charged with two counts of kidnapping by deceit or enticement, unlawful restraint, and child abduction, according to the Aurora Police Department. She has been charged with conspiring to transfer the two into the custody of the children’s father outside of the United States, who is said to have provided cash for the kidnapping attempt.
About 40 miles west of Chicago, in the suburb of Aurora, Illinois, the chaos started on Thursday afternoon.
At roughly 3:30 p.m., a family on Rosewood Avenue called the police because they thought something was amiss: two children, ages 11 and 13, had suddenly vanished with an unidentified woman, as reported by Law and Crime.
Officers found that Sanchez had shown up at the house, saying she was there to take the kids “to her location out of state” on behalf of the mother. The mother clarified right away to the police that she hadn’t approved. Thus, alarms were raised.
Investigators raced to trace Sanchez’s movements, enlisting the help of the Chicago Police Department. The joint operation led them to Midway Airport, the city’s second-busiest hub, where Sanchez was found with both children. Thankfully, the minors were rescued unharmed.
The situation became more disturbing as officers put the pieces of the case together. According to the authorities, Sanchez was familiar to the kids because she was a relative of their dad’s. However, the legal implications of this relationship were not lessened.
The father, who does not legally have custody of his children, “paid the suspect to bring the children to him in Mexico via the Texas border,” according to Aurora police. To put it briefly, this was a planned, cross-state, and fully-financed scheme; not a reckless grab.
Police reminded them that the children were safe and were back with their legal guardians, even though their names were still not public. As the case goes on, the dad, whose identity is still unknown, could suffer the consequences in court.
‘Paid the suspect to bring the children’: Texas woman arrested at Chicago airport trying to kidnap 2 children on father’s behalf and bring them to Mexico, police say https://t.co/LNmdozYKvg
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) August 16, 2025
On Friday, Sanchez was taken into the Kane County Adult Justice Center. According to court documents, she was released on conditions by Saturday morning after appearing before a judge that same day. On September 18, she will have her next status hearing, during which the prosecution is expected to give a fuller account of the charges and possibly discuss the father’s alleged involvement.
Sanchez is still facing charges but has not yet been found guilty. Given that kidnapping by deception and child abduction carry harsh penalties under Illinois law, the penalties could be severe if found guilty.
The case reminds us how child custody disputes can turn dangerous, even though this one was settled without any physical harm. While kidnappings by strangers frequently make news, most missing child cases in the US are caused by family members.
The children’s safe recovery and the prompt police response gave Aurora, Illinois, residents a rare bright spot in a case that otherwise reads like a nightmare. The legal reckoning is just getting started for Sanchez and perhaps the father of the children.
