Doña Lety, the Elderly Woman Made Famous on TikTok by Influencer Jaime Toral, Is at the Center of a Human Trafficking Case in Mexico

Doña Lety became an unlikely figure of internet fame. Without social media accounts of her own, her face and voice traveled across countless TikTok videos, where she became a meme, a subject of humor, and a character people felt they knew. Behind those clips of her scolding, laughing, or asking for a Coca-Cola, there was a woman whose real life would later reveal a story far removed from the screen.

The name Jaime Toral was once associated with those videos that made Doña Lety famous. Now it appears on a reward poster issued by the Veracruz State Attorney General’s Office. Authorities are offering three hundred fifty thousand pesos for information leading to his capture. Toral, whose full name is Jaime Pascual Hernández Toral, is wanted for alleged involvement in human trafficking.

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The Woman Behind the Meme

The viral dynamic that created Doña Lety’s fame began during the pandemic, when Toral started visiting her and sharing videos of their encounters. In the clips, he portrayed himself as a benevolent visitor, bringing food and conversation to an older woman who often greeted him with sharp humor or annoyance. The public interpreted their interactions as lighthearted, though the reality behind them was far more complex.

For years, Doña Lety appeared frail but witty, sitting outside her home in Tantoyuca, Veracruz, rejecting gifts and making jokes about healthy food she refused to eat. Her sarcasm became part of her online identity, as audiences replayed moments where she asked for soda instead of water. Yet the image of control projected through those videos concealed a darker truth that would only emerge later.

In September 2024, she was found and rescued by members of the National Guard after escaping captivity. According to reports, she reached a neighbor’s home asking for help, saying she had been held against her will. Local media captured footage of her being escorted from the property by state and municipal police, visibly weak but conscious.

Doña Lety Speaks

In her first statements, Doña Lety described being confined for a long period without regular access to food or water, conditions that worsened her already fragile health. She said she waited for a moment of carelessness from her captor before fleeing. She named a man with the surname Toral as the person responsible, which reignited public suspicion around Jaime Toral, the influencer whose channel had once showcased her.

Her account quickly spread across media outlets in Mexico, transforming what had been seen as internet entertainment into a case of alleged abuse. The irony that the woman once seen as a figure of humor had to beg for freedom was not lost on those who followed her story.

The Internet’s Complicity

The story of Doña Lety and Jaime Toral also forces a confrontation with the culture of viral fame. Millions once laughed at the woman’s clipped phrases and visible irritation without asking who controlled the camera or why she appeared so often. What seemed like casual content was built on someone’s pain.

It is an uncomfortable truth for viewers who had turned her into a meme. The transformation of a vulnerable person into entertainment speaks to how social media often rewards spectacle without context, creating fame while hiding exploitation.

Waiting for Justice

As of late October, Doña Lety continues to receive medical attention. Rosa Elena remains missing. The investigation into Jaime Toral’s whereabouts continues, with authorities urging the public to share any information that could lead to his capture.

The online world that once celebrated his content has fallen silent, replaced by uncertainty about what was real and what was performed. For Doña Lety, the woman behind the jokes, the story has shifted from amusement to endurance. Her name may have become famous through laughter, but her survival has revealed the tragedy beneath it.