A father successfully rescued his daughter, who was abducted at knifepoint, by utilizing parental controls to track her phone.
The incident unfolded on Christmas Day in Porter, Texas, as the 15-year-old girl went out for a walk with her dog around 4:50 pm. When she failed to return home promptly, her father turned to her phone’s tracking feature to locate her whereabouts.
The tracking system pinpointed her location to a remote wooded area in Harris County, approximately two miles from Porter. To his shock, the father discovered his daughter’s dog inside a maroon pickup truck with a partially undressed 23-year-old male occupant, as reported by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Acting swiftly, the father helped his daughter escape from the abductor, identified as 23-year-old Giovanni Rosales Espinoza, who was later apprehended by law enforcement thanks to witness descriptions of the truck.
Rosales Espinoza now faces charges of aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child for allegedly using a knife to threaten and abduct the girl. He is currently held in custody at the Montgomery County Jail without bond.
Sheriff Wesley Doolittle of Montgomery County condemned the act, stating, “Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child.” He praised the diligent efforts of law enforcement in swiftly capturing the perpetrator and ensuring community safety.
The family of the victim, opting to remain anonymous, expressed gratitude for their daughter’s safe return and emphasized that they had no knowledge of the suspect. The investigation is ongoing, with the sheriff’s office refraining from disclosing further details at this time.