Ruochen "Tony" Liao, a 28-year-old Chinese national who sold high-end cars, was last seen on July 16, 2018, in San Gabriel, California. He was abducted from the San Gabriel Square, a shopping center on west Valley Boulevard, at approximately 7:30 p.m. by three men in two black vehicles, believed to be a Toyota Sienna minivan and a Range Rover SUV. At the time of his disappearance, Liao was working for a luxury car consignment business in Costa Mesa and the kidnapping is suspected to be linked to a business deal that had gone sour.
The day after his abduction, Liao's father in China received a demand for a $2 million ransom. The demand was accompanied by photos of Liao bound and blindfolded. His father also received a phone call in which he heard his son plead for help, followed by a man stating, "Your son has made me very poor. I have lost everything and suffered a divorce because of him." The ransom was not paid, and there was no further contact from the kidnappers. Liao's family offered a $150,000 reward for his safe return, in addition to a $25,000 reward offered by the FBI.
Investigations revealed that Liao had been meeting with a man known as "David" regarding a debt collection. Liao, distrustful of "David," had a friend observe their third meeting from a distance, which is when he was seen getting into a dark-colored minivan. This man was later identified by authorities as Peicheng Shen. In March 2019, Shen and another Chinese national, Guangyao Yang, were charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, attempted extortion, and threat by foreign communication. Both men were believed to be in China, where Yang was arrested by Chinese authorities.
Further investigation led to the arrest of two additional suspects in the United States in July 2020. Anthony Valladares and Alexis Ivan Romero Velez were charged with kidnapping, with Valladares allegedly hired as "muscle" and Romero as the driver. Investigators believe Liao was held captive in a closet at a house in Corona, where he was repeatedly beaten and died from his injuries on the night of July 17, 2018. His body was then believed to have been buried in the Mojave Desert. In July 2019, the FBI confirmed that remains found in the Mojave Desert were identified as Liao's through DNA testing. In October 2021, Anthony Valladares was sentenced to 16 years and 3 months in prison for his role in the kidnapping and murder.
Last Seen: Jul 16, 2018
