Texas dad rescued his kidnapped daughter, 15, using phone’s location tracking, cops say

A Texas father rescued his 15-year-old daughter after she was kidnapped from the street at knifepoint by tracking her location on her phone, police said.

Giovanni Rosales Espinoza, 23, of Porter, abducted the teenager at knifepoint while she was out walking her dog on Christmas Day, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

When she failed to return at her usual time, her parents began to panic, and cops were dispatched at about 4.50pm.

Her father was able to access her location through parental controls and tracked her to a secluded wooded area in neighboring Harris County, nearly two miles away.

There, deputies said he found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon pickup truck with a partially nude Espinoza. 

He helped her escape from the vehicle and contacted law enforcement.

Investigators said the suspect had threatened the girl with a knife and abducted her from the street. 

Witnesses provided deputies with a description of the vehicle, which was later located by law enforcement.

Detectives with the sheriff’s office Major Crimes Unit responded and continued the investigation. Espinoza was taken into custody without incident.

He was charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child and remains held in 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,’ Wesley Doolittle said. 

‘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.’

The sheriff added that the office remains vigilant ‘every hour of every day’ to keep families safe.

Authorities said the investigation remains active and that no further information can be released at this time. 

The Daily Mail has contacted the Sheriff’s Office, which has no further comment.