Southaven man arrested for aggravated kidnapping

Photo: Diego Velasquez-Espino (DeSoto County Jail photo)

A Southaven man is in custody accused of aggravated kidnapping after the disappearance in Memphis of a 14-year old girl resulting in an Amber Alert.  

Diego Velasquez-Espino, age 19 of Southaven, is being held in the DeSoto County Adult Detention Center. Velasquez/Espino is charged with kidnapping and being a fugitive from justice in a case that originated in Memphis.  

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued the Amber Alert when the teenage girl was abducted by an armed man wearing a ski mask in the area of Parkway Village.  

A #TNAMBERAlert has been issued on behalf of the Memphis Police Department for 14-year-old Genesis Rodriguez.

She was last seen tonight in the area of Knightway Road in Memphis wearing a black jacket, a plaid black/white shirt, and black boots. pic.twitter.com/tePdk1wpgR

— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) February 22, 2025

The girl was later found on Stateline Road with help from the Southaven Police and U.S. Marshals Service.