Professional Soccer Player Hid Under the Bed During Home Invasion. Suspects Kidnapped His Wife and Child Instead

Jackson Rodríguez, a player for Ecuador's Emelec soccer team, hid under his bed as intruders stormed his home early Wednesday morning and kidnapped his wife and child.

Around 3 a.m., Rodríguez, 26, said he hid under the bed as his front door of his Guayaquil home was broken down. Upon entering, the Associated Press reported the suspects asked Rodríguez's wife if he was in the home, then left with her and the couple's 5-year-old child.

Rodríguez told police he saw "the individuals were traveling in a gray-colored double-cab pickup truck." Police have not yet offered an update on whether his family has been released.

The province of Guayas has been in a state of emergency since April 13 as violence in the coastal city and surrounding areas have risen. Since January, nearly half of the more than 2,300 violent deaths reported occurred in Rodríguez's city.

The Ecuadorian soccer player is not the first to be targeted. In December 2024, Pedro Perlaza, who plays for Mushuc Runa S.C., was kidnapped in Esmeraldas. He was rescued in a remote jungle near Colombia following a shootout three days later.