A wave of fear gripped the family of Ecuadorian soccer player Jackson Rodríguez early Wednesday morning, April 23, 2025, when armed men stormed the family’s home in the coastal city of Guayaquil and kidnapped his wife and 5-year-old child, authorities said.
According to Ecuador’s national police, the terrifying abduction occurred around 3 a.m., when intruders broke down the door of the home searching for the 26-year-old Emelec defender. Rodríguez reportedly hid under a bed as the assailants interrogated his wife before taking her and the child.
“They asked where he was. Then they took her and the little one,” said police chief Édison Rodríguez, who is leading the investigation. The perpetrators fled the scene in a gray double-cabin pickup truck, according to the footballer’s statement.
The targeted kidnapping comes as Ecuador reels from surging violence, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency just 10 days ago in nine provinces, including Guayas, where Guayaquil is located.
The emergency decree permits military and police operations aimed at dismantling powerful organized crime networks believed to be behind a growing number of kidnappings, murders, and drug-related crimes.
Rodríguez’s wife and child have not yet been found.
Authorities are actively pursuing leads, using surveillance footage and mobilizing additional forces in the port city, which has become a flashpoint for violence tied to international drug trafficking routes.
For many in Ecuador, this incident is a chilling reminder that no one is immune—not even the families of public figures. “This is not just a crime. This is a message,” said a local resident. “If your name has value, your family becomes a target.”
Similar incidents have shocked the nation.
In December, Ecuadorian soccer player Pedro Perlaza was kidnapped in the city of Esmeraldas and rescued days later. His ordeal—and now that of Rodríguez’s family—highlight a disturbing trend of athletes being used as pawns in a larger war over control and intimidation.
As of this writing, security forces have not released details about potential suspects or ransom demands. The Emelec club has not issued a statement, but fans and fellow players have taken to social media in solidarity, sharing prayers and messages of support for Rodríguez and his family.
With 2,345 violent deaths recorded nationwide in the first quarter of the year—742 of them in Guayaquil alone—Rodríguez’s tragedy underscores the human toll behind the statistics.
