Dad thwarts Christmas Day kidnapping with phone tracking, sheriff says
- - Dad thwarts Christmas Day kidnapping with phone tracking, sheriff says
Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY December 28, 2025 at 4:48 AM
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Texas sheriff's deputies credit a quick-thinking father and phone-tracking technology with saving a teenager from a violent kidnapping on Christmas.
On the afternoon of Dec. 25, a 15-year-old girl took her dog for a walk in Porter, about 25 miles north of Houston, but didn’t return at her usual time, according to a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office social media post. She had parental controls on her phone, allowing her parents to track her phone’s location.
The father tracked the daughter’s location nearly 2 miles away, in a secluded, partially wooded area, the sheriff's office said. The father found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon-colored pickup truck, with a “partially nude” man, later identified by officials as Giovanni Rosales Espinoza, 23.
Child safety: She just wanted to play Roblox with friends. Then the messages from a predator began.
The father helped his daughter escape from the truck and contacted law enforcement, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators said Espinoza threatened the teenager with a knife and abducted her from the street. Witnesses nearby provided a description of the suspect’s truck, and deputies found the vehicle and identified Espinoza as the driver.
Officials took Espinoza into custody on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child, according to jail records. The sheriff’s office said he is being held with no bond.
An attorney for Espinoza wasn't immediately listed. USA TODAY has contacted the Montgomery County Office of Indigent Defense for comment.
“Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child,” Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said in a Dec. 26 statement.
The sheriff's office said the investigation is still active.
While authorities didn't provide details of what technology the father used to track down his missing daughter, there are several tools parents can use to keep track of their children, even if families are skipping smartphones.
These can include GPS trackers, such as a simple Apple AirTag or watch, to see real-time location. Parents can also use apps for geofencing, which provides safe zones such as homes or schools that alert when devices leave designated locations. Devices can include emergency buttons as well.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at [email protected] or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dad saves girl from kidnapping using phone tracking, sheriff says
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