(JTA) — An Orthodox Jewish teenager kidnapped in November in Mexico City was released after the family paid “a large ransom.” The 19-year-old youth named Shlomo was freed on Dec. 30, but the news was not publicized until Jan. 4. His parents were quickly contacted following his abduction on Nov. 12 from inside the apartment building where he lives — his kidnappers reportedly had no difficulty getting past the security guard — but the negotiations lasted 40 days.

According to the Mexican Jewish press, the family paid “a large ransom” for Shlomo’s release. In late December, a Jewish father and son were kidnapped and freed in Venezuela after the Jewish community paid a $400,000 ransom.