Footballer hides under bed in terror as wife and son, 5, are kidnapped in horror ordeal
A TERRIFIED footballer hid under his bed while his wife and son were kidnapped in a horror house raid.
Jackson Rodriguez, who plays for Emelec in Ecuador, has pleaded for the safe return of his family.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night in the coastal city of Guayaquil.
Masked men raided Rodriguez’s home at 3am and broke down his front door.
The 26-year-old defender said he hid under a bed as the men ransacked the property, located in the Mucho Lote 2 neighbourhood.
Police chief Edison Rodriguez confirmed that the footballer’s wife and five-year-old son were taken during the terrifying raid.
They were snatched after asking if the Emelec star was at the residence, police confirmed.
Rodriguez saw from a window “the individuals were travelling in a gray-colored double-cab pickup truck.”
He hid under the bed and was able to evade capture.
A state of emergency was declared last week by the Ecuadorian government in nine areas of the country.
That includes the province of Guayas, where Guayaquil is situated.
Organised crime groups have wreaked havoc across the country, with 2,345 violent deaths reported between January and March, per ESPN.
Rodriguez, a talented full-back, has played 9 times for Emelec this season.
The club play in the LigaPro, the highest tier in the country, and currently sit 11th in the table.
Kidnapping of footballers is not unheard of in Ecuador.
Last December, Quito star Pedro Perlaza was kidnapped in the city of Esmeraldas.
He was found alive a few days later.