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Missing for a Year: Ana Barbosa's Heartbreaking Search as Her Daughter Speaks Out

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Tuesday, May 6, marked one year since Ana Barbosa’s loved ones last saw her.

Still no arrests, no updates and no Ana Barbosa.

17 News spoke with her daughter, Ana Maria Leal Ochoa, who’s gone from talking to her mom for hours at a time, to not hearing her voice for an entire year.

"We understand our loved one well enough to be certain she wouldn’t suddenly sever all connections with the whole family," Leal said to 17 News.

The 37-year-old Ana Maria Leal Ochoa recently marked her mother's 54th birthday in April.

Her mother, Ana Barbosa, was absent.

"If she intended to conceal herself, leave town, or encountered somebody, she would have told me about it, but she never brought up any such matters," Leal stated.

Barbosa vanished in May 2024 and was last spotted at their family-run auto repair shop in Oildale. One month afterward, in June, authorities asked for an order prohibiting Barbosa’s spouse, Fabian Barbosa, from owning firearms.

The status of that request remains ambiguous.

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According to warrants filed by sheriff’s investigators, there are allegations of domestic violence against Fabian Barbosa.

"She stayed with me for some time. However, she decided to return. She hoped that her marriage would succeed," Leal remembered.

When queried about her support for her mother’s choice, Leal responded by shaking her head and saying, "No. I advised her not to go. All of us urged her not to leave."

Leal mentioned that she last encountered her mother on May 5 at a flea market.

Barbosa was accompanied by her spouse.

“Had I known that was the last time I was going to see her in a while, I think that hug she gave me, I think I would’ve hugged her much tighter, much longer, because this is really unbelievable for me,” Leal said through tears.

Leal said the following day — the day she went missing — Ana Barbosa and Fabian had a big argument.

According to Fabian, Leal said, her mom then left through the back gate of their car shop.

“My mom doesn’t drive. She’d never be able to go on the freeway,” Leal pointed out.

Warrants show Fabian said he ordered an Uber for her, though she decided to order her own Uber instead. According to the warrants, he had no record of the transaction on his Uber account.

According to court documents, Fabian said he hadn’t seen Ana Barbosa since she left their car shop around 4 p.m. that day. He also claimed to investigators that Ana Barbosa, “must have unplugged the Wi-Fi when she left because he did not have a recording of the event.”

"I am the nearest person around; I'm the one living here. He never contacted me asking, 'Is your mother at your place? Is she with you? Do you happen to know where she might be? Or do you have an idea when she will return home?'" Leal stated, mentioning that her grandmother from Las Vegas reached out to inform her that Fabian mentioned Ana Barbosa was missing.

The warrants indicate that investigators discovered blood in the hallway of Barbosa’s southwestern Bakersfield residence. They collected samples from this blood for DNA analysis. However, no new information has been provided regarding these test results.

After learning about her mother’s disappearance, Leal approached Fabian and remarked, "It seemed as though he was portraying himself as a victim. I expected to come over and have him say, 'don't stress, everything will work out fine; let's create a strategy—we'll handle this issue and tackle those challenges.' Yet, what happened was quite different—I stood there watching him ramble endlessly about their first meeting, his perception of her shortcomings, and reminiscing about old times."

Leal referred to that direct conversation as one of the strangest she has ever experienced.

Barbosa stands at 5 feet, 3 inches and has a weight of 140 pounds.

Her hair is black and her eyes are brown.

"I believe that after all the tears I've shed and the numerous anxiety and panic attacks I've experienced, I'm somewhat emotionally numb," Leal stated when looking back at the last year with her family.

The Kern Secret Witness Program is currently offering a reward for information. $10,000 reward for information in her case.

If you have any information, call KCSO at 661-861-3110.

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