Soccer player hides under bed as intruders looking for him kidnap his wife and 5yo daughter

On April 23, 2025, around 3:00 AM, a home invasion took place in Guayaquil, Ecuador. This led to the kidnapping of the wife and 5-year-old daughter of Jackson Rodríguez, a player for the Emelec soccer team. Rodríguez was not harmed because he hid under his bed during the attack.

As reported by People and ESPN, Police Chief Édison Rodríguez stated that the intruders broke into the family’s home, specifically targeting Rodríguez. Once inside, they asked Rodríguez’s wife where he was before taking her and their young daughter. After the kidnapping, Rodríguez saw the criminals escape in a gray double-cab pickup truck.

This kidnapping happened during a state of emergency that the Ecuadorian government had declared ten days earlier. The emergency measures apply to nine regions of the country, including Guayas province, where Guayaquil is located, per AP. The government implemented these measures to combat the growing problem of organized crime, which they blame for the recent rise in violence. Guayaquil, a major port city and a key location for drug trafficking, has been especially affected by the increase in criminal activity.

Soccer player hid while his wife and daughter were taken

Authorities are now investigating the kidnapping of Rodríguez’s family. The National Police of Ecuador is working to find his wife and daughter and arrest those responsible. The investigation is still ongoing, and more details are expected as it continues.

Official numbers show how serious the security crisis is in Guayaquil. From January to March 2025, the city recorded 742 violent deaths, demonstrating the severity of the situation. Insecurity in Ecuador has gotten much worse over the past four years.

Government figures reveal that the homicide rate jumped from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to 47 in 2023, showing a huge increase in violent crime nationwide. Guayaquil’s strategic position makes it a major transit point for illegal drugs headed to Europe, Central America, and the United States, which is why organized crime groups are so active there.

This is not the first time Ecuadorian soccer players have been targeted. In December 2024, Reuters reported that another player, Pedro Perlaza, who played for Liga de Quito, was kidnapped in Esmeraldas before being rescued by police a few days later. These cases show the serious dangers that high-profile individuals face in Ecuador due to the current climate of insecurity and organized crime.