A Texas teenager was rescued by her father after being forced into a van at knifepoint on Christmas Day, police said.
Patrol deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in the area around 4:50 p.m. on Thursday, according to the agency on social media. The agents were informed that the 15-year-old teenager had taken her dog for a walk, but had not returned. His father then used parental controls to track the location of his phone and finding it in an “isolated and partially wooded area” about three kilometers away.
The sheriff’s office said the father, who has not been identified, drove to the scene and found his daughter and dog inside a pickup truck along with a “partially naked” man. The father helped the teen escape and brought her back home, where they called the sheriff’s office.
Investigators determined that the suspect had threatened the teen with a knife. Witness descriptions allowed police to identify the suspect’s vehicle and driver as Giovanni Rosales Espinoza23 years old.
Espinoza was taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff’s office. He is accused of aggravated kidnapping and dishonesty with a minor. He is being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond, according to the sheriff’s office. The investigation is ongoing.
CBS affiliate KHOU reported that the girl is recovering with her family. The family told KHOU that none of them knew the suspect and that they are grateful their daughter is safe.
“Christmas is a day of joy, but this man decided to destroy that joy by attacking a minor,” Sheriff Wesley Doolittle declared on social media. “I am incredibly proud of our officers and detectives who worked tirelessly to ensure this dangerous predator was quickly apprehended and no longer on our streets.”
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