Video: Girl kidnapped "by mistake" in Ecuador on her way to school

The kidnapping of a girl set off all the alarms in Ecuador. It happened this Tuesday in Los Ríos, Quevedo, when a young girl was kidnapped while on her way to school with her mother and sisters. Shocking security camera footage from a home captured the moment several gunmen intercepted the family while on their way.

The video shows how a gray car blocks the passage of the car in which the girls and their mother are traveling. Several men get out of the vehicle armed and forcibly remove the girl from the car. The mother tries to intervene and save her daughter while the other girls are frightened, however, the kidnappers threaten them and take the little girl.

The video of the kidnapping soon went viral on social networks and generated a wave of indignation in the country, but also a quick response from local authorities. Hours after the event, the girl was released by the kidnappers. According to local media reports, the girl stated that the kidnappers claimed to have "mistaken the victim."

Ecuadorian police say they have launched an investigation to identify and capture those responsible for what they describe as an "alleged" kidnapping. Another incident to add to the spiral of violence that the South American country is experiencing in recent times.