Ecuador mother and daughter tried for kidnapping extortion of Quito lawyer

On 4 July 2026 a lawyer in Quito was abducted after responding to a fake request for a child‑support case. He was taken to a house in the San Roque district, bound, beaten and held for ransom. Prosecutors said the kidnappers demanded US 7,000 for his release. Police used the victim’s phone signal to locate the site and rescued him that night; he was found with signs of physical abuse.

The mother, Mónica Esthela C.P., and her teenage daughter were later processed for their alleged participation in the extortion. A judge ordered preventive detention for the mother and imposed a travel ban and weekly reporting requirements on the daughter. The court also issued protective measures under article 558 of the Ecuadorian Penal Code, prohibiting the defendants from approaching the victim.

The case was heard by a judge of the Penal Guarantees Chamber, who upheld the prosecutor’s request for these measures. The mother cannot be near the lawyer, and the daughter faces restrictions on leaving the country.