Brave dad tracks down daughter ‘kidnapped by knifepoint’ on Christmas Day

A hero father managed to track down his missing daughter on Christmas Day, thanks to a feature on his mobile phone.

His 15-year-old girl disappeared while taking the dog out for a walk in the town of Porter outside Houston, Texas.

The teenage girl was eventually found by her dad using the parental controls on his phone.

The technology led him to a ‘partially wooded’ area in Harris County, two miles from Porter.

There he discovered his daughter in a maroon-colored pickup truck with a partially naked young man, police said.

After helping her escape, the heroic parent called emergency services who later caught the suspect.

Officers have arrested 23-year-old Giovanni Rosales Espinoza after witnesses provided a detailed description of him.

Investigations found Espinoza had threatened the young girl with a knife after abducting her.

Espinoza remains in custody having been charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child.

The suspect is being held in jail and has been refused bond bail.

Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley 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.’

Enquiries into the kidnapping remain ongoing.

Experts say the case underlines the importance of parents being able to track their children for their own safety.

Retired special agent Jim Cavanaugh said: ‘You’ve got to sit down with your teenagers and say to them that this is to keep them safe.

‘If you want someone to come and rescue you, having your location is critical.’

He added he would make the hero dad ‘father of the year’.

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