Giovanni Rosales Espinoza, Porter, Texas man arrested after dad uses teen daughter’s cell phone data to track down 15-year-old girl who was abducted at knifepoint.
A Texas teen was rescued after being abducted at knifepoint after her father using the teen girl’s cell phone data to track the kidnapped 15-year old.
Patrol deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office were called to an area home in Porter at about 4:50 p.m. on Thursday, Christmas Day following reports of the teen failing to return after taking her dog out the agency stated in a Facebook release. Her father then used parental controls on the girl’s cellphone plan to track her phone’s location to a ‘secluded, partially wooded area’ about two miles away.
The sheriff’s office said the father, who has not been identified, traveled to the site in Harris County and found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon-colored pickup truck, along with a ‘partially nude’ man. The father helped the teen escape and brought her back home, where they called the sheriff’s office, KPRC-TV reported.
Dad uses daughter’s cell phone data to track kidnapped teen and rescue her
Investigators determined that the male suspect, identified as 23-year-old man, Giovanni Rosales Espinoza, had kidnapped and threatened the teenager with a knife.
Espinoza of Porter, Tx., was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said. He has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child. He is being held in the Montgomery County Jail with no bond, the sheriff’s office said. An investigation is ongoing.
‘Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child,’ said Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle. ‘I am incredibly proud of our deputies and detectives who worked tirelessly to ensure this dangerous predator was swiftly apprehended and is now off our streets. Rest assured that your Sheriff’s Office remains vigilant every hour of every day to keep your families safe.’
Teen victim’s family release statement after abduction
Stated a release from the victim’s family: ‘We’re thankful tonight our daughter is safe, at home and with us recovering. We’d also like to clarify that none of us knew the suspect.’
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating this case.
Not immediately clear is how the man came to target the girl and whether the abduction was an abrupt action or methodically planned.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (936) 760-5876, reference case number 25A410316, or call Crime Stoppers at 800-392-7867.
