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Ecuadorian soccer player Jackson Rodriguez was the victim of a home invasion at his residence in the coastal city of Guayaquil in the early hours of Wednesday. During the incident, his wife and 5-year-old child were kidnapped from the home while he hid under a bed.
According to the Associated Press, the kidnappings took place around 3 a.m. The crime was reportedly perpetrated by multiple masked men.
Police chief Edison Rodriguez said the 26-year-old fullback for Emelec hid under the bed when he heard the front door of his home being broken down. The footballer reported to police “that the individuals were traveling in a gray-colored double-cab pickup truck” when saw them through a window following the abduction. He also stated that he heard the kidnappers ask his wife if he was in the house.
The kidnapping occurred 10 days after a state of emergency had been declared by the government in multiple regions of Ecuador, including the province of Guayas where Guayaquil is located. It was declared to fight a dramatic rise in drug-linked violence, according to CBS News.
The state of emergency took effect the day before Sunday’s presidential election in Ecuador and is set to continue for 60 days. President Daniel Noboa, who issued the decree, stated that it was in response to the “increase in violence, serious crime, and the intense unlawful activities of organized armed groups.” At the time, the country was averaging one killing every hour.
The Associated Press reports there have been 2,345 violent deaths in the country between January and March. 742 of those occurred in Guayaquil, where Jackson Rodriguez’s family members were kidnapped.
In December 2024, Liga de Quito soccer player Pedro Perlaza was kidnapped along with a friend in Esmeraldas, Ecuador and rescued alive a few days of being held hostage in a jungle. His kidnappers had demanded $60,000 for their release. They were eventually found and rescued after police engaged in a shootout with their captors.
TREMENDO 😢🥺🚨 || Así fue el rescate de Pedro Pablo Perlaza.
Se hacen públicos los videos de los uniformados de la Unase, que lograron rescatar al jugador en una zona montañosa de #Esmeraldas
— Ecuagol (@ECUAGOL) December 5, 2024