Nicole Pardo Molina, a 20-year-old Mexican-American influencer known as La Nicholette, was kidnapped at gunpoint from her lilac Tesla Cybertruck on January 20, 2026, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. The incident, captured on the vehicle's camera, involved armed men using tire spikes to stop her SUV outside a shopping center. Authorities have launched an investigation but reported no significant developments as of January 23.
The abduction occurred just after 5 p.m. in the upscale Isla Musala neighborhood of Culiacán, a city notorious for its ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel and high violence rates. According to surveillance footage from Molina's distinctive lilac Cybertruck, three armed men in a stolen white Toyota Corolla intercepted her as she arrived at a shopping plaza. At least one assailant wore a mask and carried a long gun. They deployed tire spikes to disable the vehicle, then pulled Molina from it during a brief struggle. She attempted to resist by slamming the Corolla's door and scrambling back to her SUV, but the men overpowered her and forced her into their car before fleeing.
Molina, born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, had over 180,000 Instagram followers and 140,000 on TikTok. She frequently traveled between Arizona and Sinaloa, where her parents reside, and operated businesses including a jewelry shop and a hat-and-clothing boutique in both locations. Her online store, Nicholette Shop, sold items like bracelets and apparel, some featuring imagery of cartel figures such as Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. In 2023, the Mexican band Grupo Arriesgado released a corrido titled "La Muchacha del Salado" about her, which has amassed over 23 million YouTube views. She also ran an OnlyFans account for adult content and had dropped out of school in the U.S. after the COVID-19 pandemic to pursue ventures in Mexico.
The Sinaloa State Attorney General’s Office activated the Protocolo Alba alert for missing women at risk. Officials stated, “It is considered that her safety may be at risk, as she could be a victim of a crime.” An update on January 21 suggested possible links to internal Sinaloa Cartel disputes involving the Los Mayos group, though no direct criminal affiliations with Molina have been confirmed. Police and the Mexican army were deployed, but as of January 23, no suspects have been named and her whereabouts remain unknown.
The case has heightened concerns in both Mexican and U.S. communities, especially in Phoenix. A woman who worked near Molina's former boutique in Arizona told AZFamily, “It’s something really bad because I have daughters and I think about my daughters. She was very young for this to have happened to her, but I don’t know if she was involved in criminal activity.” Sinaloa has reported hundreds of women missing or kidnapped in the past year amid ongoing cartel violence. Online, fans have used #FindLaNicholette to demand action.
