Ecuadorian football player Jackson Rodriguez's wife and 5-year-old child were kidnapped early Wednesday after armed men stormed their home in Guayaquil, reportedly searching for the Emelec defender, who told police he hid under a bed.
The abduction occurred around 3 a.m. in the coastal city, according to Police Chief Edison Rodriguez.
In his statement to authorities, the 26-year-old fullback said he took cover beneath a bed after hearing the intruders force their way through the front door.
The perpetrators took Rodriguez's wife and child after asking the woman if Rodriguez was at the residence.
According to police, Rodriguez saw through a window that "the individuals were traveling in a gray double-cab pickup truck."
The incident occurred amid a state of emergency declared 10 days earlier by the government in nine areas of the country, including Guayas province, where Guayaquil is located.
The measure allows the mobilization of security forces in those territories to combat organized crime groups, which authorities blame for the ongoing wave of violence.
Insecurity and crime have plagued Ecuador for four years, with incidents increasing in the first few months of the year, according to the government.
Between January and March, 2,345 violent deaths were reported – 742 of them in Guayaquil, located 168 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Quito.
The port city is considered one of the most dangerous areas in the country. From its ports, illegal drug shipments are sent to Europe, Central America and the United States, authorities said.
Other athletes have been targeted in the past. In December 2024, football player Pedro Perlaza, who played for Liga de Quito, was also kidnapped in Esmeraldas, a city located 113 miles (182 kilometers) northwest of Quito, and rescued alive a few days later.
