A Porter, Texas father used parental control tracking on his 15‑year‑old daughter’s cell phone to locate her after she disappeared on Christmas Day, according to authorities. The girl was found inside a pickup truck in a secluded area, alongside a suspected kidnapper who allegedly forced her into his vehicle with a knife.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reported the kidnapping occurred just before 4:50 p.m. on December 25 on the 4000 block of Conner Mills Court in Porter, Texas. The 15‑year‑old left home to walk her dog but did not return. Family members reported her missing, and deputies responded quickly to the scene with details of her disappearance.
Using the phone’s parental control tracking features, the girl’s father followed the signal to a remote location nearly two miles from the abduction site. There he found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon pickup truck. A partially nude 23‑year‑old man identified later as the suspect was also inside the vehicle.
The father immediately removed his daughter from the truck and alerted law enforcement. Deputies launched a search for the suspect and vehicle. Witnesses at the scene of the initial abduction provided detailed descriptions of the truck used during the crime, aiding the investigation.
Sheriff’s deputies located the suspect’s vehicle and arrested 23‑year‑old Giovanni Rosales‑Espinoza without incident. Rosales‑Espinoza now faces charges of Aggravated Kidnapping and Indecency with a Child. He is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail. Authorities did not provide information about any prior criminal history.
According to the sheriff’s office, the preliminary investigation indicates Rosales‑Espinoza threatened the girl with a knife and forced her into his truck before driving to the secluded area. Detectives from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit continue to investigate the suspected kidnapping.
Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said the attack was a heartbreaking violation of what should have been a joyful holiday for the young girl and her family. He praised deputies and detectives for their swift work to apprehend the dangerous suspect and bring him into custody. The sheriff’s office emphasized its ongoing commitment to protecting families and children in the community. No further details have been released as the investigation remains active.
Local law enforcement agencies routinely urge parents to use available safety tools, such as parental controls and location tracking, to help protect children. In this case, those tools proved crucial in saving a young life during a frightening ordeal on a day dedicated to family and celebration.
