FBI Doubles Reward to $10,000 in Mona Renee Vallo Case
GRANTS, N.M. – The March 2022 murder, Pueblo of Acoma resident Mona Renee Vallo remains unsolved. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is doubling their reward to $10,000 for information leading to a prosecution.
An indigenous woman, Mona Renee Vallo was found dead due to a hit-and-run accident on March 9, 2022. Even after all of these months, authorities have not been able to find the driver or the vehicle used in the accident. This is the reality for cases involving indigenous women in the United States, more often than not, crimes of violence against them go unsolved.
Details in her death have remained limited, but according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Albuquerque Division, Vallo was discovered by drivers who passed by her on March 9 in the evening, her body was found just off U.S. Route 66, New Mexico Highway 124. Preliminary reports suggest that she was the victim of a hit-and-run crash that occurred around 7 p.m. on March 9, 2022.
Vallo was not a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, she was a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation in Washington State, and was an active resident of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico.
“The deaths of too many Native American men and women remain unsolved,” said Special Agent in Charge Brujanda. “We are working with the Pueblo of Laguna Public Safety Department to give Mona's family the justice they deserve. The public can help by contacting us if they have any information about her death.”
Vallo was an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
In April 2022, the FBI offered an award of $5,000 for information about Vallo’s death. Because no information has led to an arrest or the discovery of the driver or car, the FBI has doubled the reward money.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the FBI at 505889-1300 or go online to tips.fbi.gov. The FBI is offering a reward for information up to $10,000.
Timeline of Events
• March 9, 2022: Mona Renee Vallo, a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, is found dead in a hit-andrun accident near U.S. Route 66, New Mexico Highway 124. She was an active resident of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico.
• March 2022: The murder of Mona Renee Vallo remains unsolved, and authorities struggle to identify the driver or vehicle involved in the hitand-run incident.
• April 2022: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offers a reward of $5,000 for any information leading to the arrest or discovery of the responsible individual(s) in Mona's case.
• July 2022: Despite ongoing investigations, no substantial leads have emerged, and the case remains unsolved. There is growing concern about the prevalence of violence against Indigenous women in the United States and the lack of justice in such cases, discussed in stories previously published in the Cibola Citizen.
• March 2023: Nearly a year after Mona's murder, authorities have been unable to make progress in identifying the driver or the vehicle involved. The case highlights the persistent issue of unsolved crimes against Indigenous women and the need for greater attention and resources to address these cases.
• July 2023: The FBI doubles the reward money to $10,000 in an effort to encourage individuals with information to come forward and assist in the investigation. They urge the public to contact the FBI at 505889-1300 to submit tips regarding Mona Renee Vallo's case.