Luis Diaz’s dad has reportedly been rescued from a kidnapping during a shootout that left two of his captors dead hours after the footballer’s mum was freed from her ordeal.
The search had continued for Luis Manuel Diaz after Cilenis Marulanda was rescued following a police chase triggered by the kidnap of the Liverpool star’s parents on Saturday afternoon near their home in the town of Barrancas in Colombia’s Caribbean region.
Local media from the La Guajira region claim that the Reds’ forward’s dad has now been freed following a police rescue mission, which resulted in the deaths of two of the four kidnappers. The incident is said to have happened near an area called Los Barrancones as the captors aimed to head towards Colombia’s border with Venezuela with the intention of smuggling him into the neighbouring country.
As of yet, there has not yet been any official confirmation Luis Diaz’s dad has been rescued by the local authorities. His mum was pictured overnight enjoying a tearful reunion with relatives.
A man described as the best friend of Luis Manuel Diaz has told a Colombian radio station the footballer’s parents had been heading to the home of a relative of Cilenis near a petrol station where they had just filled up their car with fuel when they were taken hostage.
Victor Medina said: “It was 5.30pm local time on Saturday. They had filled up with petrol and then went to a neighbourhood nearby to collect something from a relative of Celinis. There the captors arrived, four men on motorbikes.
“They threatened them with weapons, made them get into the same vehicle and sped off with the other two on a motorbike tailing them. They headed for a rural area. The authorities were informed and there was a chase.”
Luis Diaz’s mother and father have been rescued from the kidnappers.
