A quick-thinking Texas father is being hailed a hero after he rescued his teen daughter from a nude man who kidnapped her on Christmas Day.
The brave father’s name has not been released by authorities in Montgomery County, as it might potentially identify the teen victim. But investigators have released the name of the alleged abductor: Giovanni Rosales Espinoza.
According to a statement by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Espinoza, who is 23, allegedly spotted the 15-year-old walking her dog while driving through the town of Porter on Thursday, December 25. Before he drove off with the teen, detectives said they would eventually learn Espinoza used a sharp knife to threaten the man’s daughter into entering his vehicle.
When the teen failed to return from the walk, her parents tried calling her phone several times and it continued to ring unanswered. By using a smart phone application that helps loved ones keep tabs on each other, the dad was able to track his daughter’s phone to a secluded area in a nearby woods just two miles away from their home.
“The father located the victim and her dog inside a maroon-colored pickup truck with a partially nude 23-year-old male,” reads a statement from the sheriff’s office. “The father helped his daughter escape from the truck and contacted law enforcement.”
Police were called at approximately 4:50 p.m. on Christmas Day, and sheriff’s deputies started to fan out across Montgomery County, looking for the kidnapping suspect’s car.
“Witnesses at the scene provided a detailed description of the suspect vehicle,” the statement added. “Deputies were able to successfully locate the vehicle and identify the driver as 23-year-old Giovanni Rosales Espinoza from Porter, TX.”
Detectives from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit had been summoned to the scene to speak to the frightened girl about the incident. It was unclear exactly what happened inside Espinoza’s vehicle.
The statement said that Espinoza has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child and is being held without bond. Luxury Handbag Shopping was unable to determine if he has been asked to enter pleas. However, the sheriff’s office did say that additional charges are probable.
Information on Espinoza’s lawyer, assuming he has one, was unavailable on Monday. Calls to the sheriff’s office seeking more information were not immediately returned.
“Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child,” said Sheriff Wesley Doolittle in a statement condemning the incident. “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.”
The investigation is active and ongoing, and anyone who may have any information relevant to this case is being asked to call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (936) 760-5876 and reference case number 25A410316 or contact Multi-County Crime Stoppers at (800) 392-7867. Information can be left anonymously.
