During a terrifying home invasion, Ecuadorian footballer Jackson Rodriguez concealed himself under a bed while his wife and five-year-old son were abducted.
Rodriguez, a defender for the club Emelec, has made an impassioned plea for the safe return of his family.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, around 3 am, when masked attackers forcefully entered their residence in the Mucho Lote 2 neighborhood of the coastal city of Guayaquil.
The 26-year-old player reported that the intruders specifically asked if he was at home before proceeding to ransack the property. He managed to hide under his bed and avoid being captured himself.
Police Chief Edison Rodriguez confirmed that the footballer`s wife and young son were taken by the assailants. Jackson Rodriguez observed the perpetrators departing in a gray double-cab pickup truck.
This kidnapping takes place amidst a challenging security situation in Ecuador, marked by a surge in violence attributed to organized crime groups. The government recently declared a state of emergency across several regions, including the province of Guayas, where Guayaquil is located. According to reports, the country recorded 2,345 violent deaths between January and March.
Jackson Rodriguez is a full-back who has played 9 matches for Emelec this season in the LigaPro, Ecuador`s top football league. The team currently sits in 11th place.
Unfortunately, the kidnapping of footballers is not an isolated event in Ecuador. In December last year, Quito player Pedro Perlaza was kidnapped in Esmeraldas but was fortunately found alive a few days later.
