Former Juventus player Pedro Pablo Perlaza Caicedo was seen barely able to keep himself from crying following his kidnap hell.
Perlaza, 33, who started out at Juventus and appeared for the Ecuadorian national team, was seen getting rescued by the police who located an eerie shack in the woodlands where he was held for three days, before getting escorted to safety. Emotional footage also shows him being reunited with his family after the alleged kidnapping in Atacames, a town in Ecuador. He had been reported missing for four days.
The Ecuadorian National Police said in a statement today the football player, who currently plays for Delfin, was rescued along with his friend, identified as one Juan Carlos Morales.
READ MORE: Life and captivity of stunning Brit model held in snake-infested pit by armed thugs
READ MORE: Man finds missing babies in ditch as he goes outside to collect delivery in -2C
police
Police found the footballer in a shack in the Ecuadorian forest (Image: NX)
The police also said that they were "victims of extortionate kidnapping" and "were taken to safety along with their families."
Local media reports said that the former Juventus player was held for three days after being kidnapped on the night of Sunday (December 1).
perlaza
Perlaza was escorted to safety by police (Image: NX)
Police commander Diego Velastegui said his law enforcement team had been "met with bullets by the kidnappers" during the rescue operation. After a brief exchange of firing, the kidnappers ended up fleeing the scene, allowing police to rescue the two victims.
The police were assisted by specialist agents who are experts in intelligence, investigations and disappearances. During the search two bodies were located, initially feared to have been the corpses for the footballer and his mate. The identities of the two fatalities are currently unclear.
Pedro Pablo Perlaza and his friend Juan Carlos Morales,
Pedro Pablo Perlaza and his friend Juan Carlos Morales after getting released as hostages (Image: NX)
Perlaza’s family announced the former footballer's kidnapping on Monday evening (December 2), suggesting the incident occurred earlier that day. Reports at the time stated Perlaza was stopped on the road by a motorcyclist who managed to force him to leave with them to an undisclosed location.
Join the Daily Star's WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
A man laughing at his phone, a sassy womanm the whatsapp logo and an alien in a suit.
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we'll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens...along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is**click on this link**, select 'Join Chat' and you're in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN