(NewsNation) — Texas authorities took an alleged kidnapper into custody this week after the father of a missing girl used parental control software to locate and rescue his daughter, officials said.
The father became concerned Thursday when the 15-year-old girl took her dog for a walk in their Porter, Texas, neighborhood and did not return at her usual time, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Using parental controls to locate the teen’s phone reportedly led the father to a secluded area two miles away. His daughter and her dog were inside a maroon-colored pickup truck, along with a “partially nude 23-year-old male,” the sheriff’s office said.
After helping his daughter escape from the truck, the parent contacted police. With witness information, police said they were able to track down the vehicle and identify a suspect: Giovanni Rosales Espinoza of Porter.
An investigation revealed Espinoza threatened the victim with a knife and abducted her from the street, the sheriff’s office said.
Espinoza was charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child and was being 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. 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,” Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said in a prepared statement.
An investigation continues. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call 936-760-5876 (reference case number 25A410316), or Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-7867.