Father Finds 15-Year-Old Daughter, Who Was Kidnapped at Knifepoint on Christmas, by Tracking Her Phone’s Location

A 15-year-old girl who was reported kidnapped in Porter, Texas, was rescued on Christmas Day after her father used parental controls to track her phone and found her inside a pickup truck with the suspect, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

Deputies responded to the report at about 4:50 p.m. on Dec. 25, the MCSO said in a Facebook post. Investigators learned the teen had taken her dog for a walk and didn’t return at her usual time, prompting her parents to start searching.

Using parental controls, her father located her phone, which pinged in a partially wooded area in neighboring Harris County, nearly two miles away, authorities said. He went to the location and found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon pickup truck with a 23-year-old man who was partially nude, according to the sheriff’s office. The father helped his daughter escape and then contacted law enforcement.

Investigators said the suspect allegedly threatened the teen with a knife and abducted her from the street. Witnesses provided a detailed description of the truck, which helped deputies locate and identify the suspect, the MCSO said.

The sheriff’s office identified him as 23-year-old Giovanni Rosales Espinoza of Porter. Detectives with the MCSO major crimes unit responded to the scene, and Espinoza was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child, authorities said. As of Dec. 26, he remained in custody at the Montgomery County Jail without bond.

“Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child,” Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said in a statement, praising investigators for quickly taking the suspect into custody. He added that the sheriff’s office remains vigilant “every hour of every day to keep your families safe.”

The teen’s family, who asked to remain anonymous, told KHOU11 they were grateful she was safe and recovering at home. They also said they did not know the suspect.