On a day meant for family and rest, a father’s holiday joy turned to fear in Texas when his 15-year-old daughter didn’t come back from walking her dog, authorities said.
When she was out past the time it normally takes to complete the walk, her parents became concerned, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a social media post.
Distressed, the father turned to parental controls on the teen’s cellphone and tracked her location to a secluded and partially wooded area in Harris County, about 2 miles from their home in Porter – less than 30 miles outside of Houston.
The father followed the location into the woods.
When he arrived, he found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon pickup truck with a partially nude stranger inside.
The father helped his daughter escape the truck and contacted authorities who were able to, with the help of eyewitnesses at the scene, locate the truck and identify the driver as 23-year-old, Giovanni Rosales Espinoza, also from Porter, although the family told CNN affiliate KHOU they didn’t know him.
The teen and her family have not been publicly identified at this time.
The rescue underscores the growing popularity of parental-tracking tools – from smartphone location sharing to dedicated safety apps – as research shows children are getting smartphones at younger ages and more families are turning to these layers for added peace of mind.
An investigation revealed the suspect threatened the victim with a knife, abducting her from the street, according to Montgomery County detectives.
Espinoza was taken into custody without incident and charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child, according to inmate arrest records.
Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle complimented his deputies and detectives for their work to apprehend Espinoza and assured the community the department is committed to keeping families safe.
“Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child,” Doolittle said.
Espinoza is currently being held without bond at Montgomery County Jail. It’s unclear if he has an attorney at this time.
News
THE 14-EPISODE MELTDOWN: A Record-Shattering Inside Look Just Altered the Destiny of Landman Forever!
THE 14-EPISODE MELTDOWN: A Record-Shattering Inside Look Just Altered the Destiny of Landman Forever! A series of unprecedented, high-stakes maneuvers behind the scenes has officially triggered a massive transformation that insiders warn will expose the darkest secrets of the West Texas oil fields. This intense expansion is set to unleash a sequence of dangerous events […]
THE 14-EPISODE RECKONING: A Record-Shattering Revelation Just Changed the Future of Landman Forever!
THE 14-EPISODE RECKONING: A Record-Shattering Revelation Just Changed the Future of Landman Forever! A series of unprecedented, high-stakes maneuvers behind the scenes has officially triggered a massive transformation that insiders warn will expose the darkest secrets of the West Texas oil fields. This explosive expansion is set to unleash a sequence of dangerous events so […]
STOP EVERYTHING! Landman Season 3 Officially Locks Its Return Date — Here’s When You Can Watch!
STOP EVERYTHING! Landman Season 3 Officially Locks Its Return Date — Here’s When You Can Watch! The long wait is finally over, and the dust has settled on the rumors. Clear your schedule, because the most explosive comeback on television is officially back on the calendar. For months, fans have been speculating, theorizing, and endlessly […]
IT’S FINALLY HERE! The Landman Season 3 Premiere Date Is Set — Get Your Popcorn Ready!
STOP EVERYTHING! Landman Season 3 Officially Locks Its Return Date — Here’s When You Can Watch! The long wait is finally over, and the dust has settled on the rumors. Clear your schedule, because the most explosive comeback on television is officially back on the calendar. For months, fans have been speculating, theorizing, and endlessly […]
HE SENT HER AWAY AT DAWN… BY NOON, THE TOWN CALLED HER MRS. SHERIFF
HE SENT HER AWAY AT DAWN… BY NOON, THE TOWN CALLED HER MRS. SHERIFF PART 1: The Bride in the Dust The Utah dawn was a bruised purple, bleeding into the jagged peaks of the Wasatch Range. The air was crisp, tasting of sagebrush and cold dirt, but Cole Tanner was already sweating. He stood […]
He Married Her Only on Paper… Then She Found Her Own Name on His First Wife’s Death Certificate
HE MARRIED HER ONLY ON PAPER… THEN SHE FOUND HER OWN NAME ON HIS FIRST WIFE’S DEATH CERTIFICATE PART 1: The Loveless Bargain and the Locked Drawer The Nevada wind possessed a specific kind of cruelty in late November. It howled down from the Sierra Nevadas, carrying a bitter, bone-chilling frost that rattled the windowpanes […]
End of content
No more pages to load
