Father rescues daughter kidnapped on Christmas day after tracking her phone’s location

A father in Texas rescued his teen daughter by tracking her cell phone after she was kidnapped by a man on Christmas Day.

According to the sheriff’s office, the teen had gone out to walk her dog. When she didn’t return at her usual time, her parents used parental controls on her phone to locate her.

Her father traveled to a secluded, partially wooded area, nearly two miles from their home, and found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon pickup truck with a partially nude man.

He then helped his daughter escape from the truck and immediately called authorities.

Investigators determined the suspect had threatened the 15-year-old with a knife and kidnapped her from the street.

Witnesses at the scene provided deputies with a detailed description of the vehicle, which helped locate the truck and identify the man as 23-year-old Giovanni Rosales Espinoza (picture above).

Espinoza was taken into custody without incident and has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child.

He is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail with no bond.

Sheriff Wesley Doolittle released a statement condemning the incident.

Doolittle said: “Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child. 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.”