A terrified football player, Jackson Rodriguez, who plays for Emelec in Ecuador, took refuge under his bed while his wife and son were abducted in a terrifying home invasion. He has made an appeal for the safe return of his family after the incident took place on Wednesday night in Guayaquil. At around 3am, masked intruders broke into Rodriguez’s house in the Mucho Lote 2 area. The 26-year-old defender recounted hiding beneath his bed while the assailants searched the home. Police chief Edison Rodriguez confirmed that the footballer’s wife and five-year-old son were kidnapped during this frightening ordeal, with the intruders inquiring about Rodriguez’s presence at the home before taking them. Rodriguez observed through a window that “the people were driving in a gray double-cab pickup truck.” He concealed himself under the bed and managed to avoid being caught. Last week, the Ecuadorian government announced a state of emergency in nine regions of the country, including Guayas province, home to Guayaquil. Organized crime syndicates have caused significant turmoil nationwide, with 2,345 violent fatalities reported from January to March, according to ESPN. Rodriguez, a skilled full-back, has made nine appearances for Emelec this season. The team competes in LigaPro, the country’s top football league, and is currently in 11th place in the standings. Kidnapping of football players is not uncommon in Ecuador; last December, Pedro Perlaza, a star from Quito, was abducted in Esmeraldas but was later found alive.
