Buenos Aires - The father of Argentine football star Carlos Tevez was kidnapped early Tuesday before being released hours later, a lawyer for the family said.
Segundo Tevez “is free, he is in good condition and has reunited with his family,” lawyer Gustavo Galasso told television channel C5N.
There was no immediate confirmation of press reports that the family paid a ransom to secure his release.
Juventus star Tevez had planned to fly home from Italy in response to the situation, but “decided not to in light of the good news,” said the governor of Buenos Aires province Daniel Scioli.
The victim was kidnapped early Tuesday morning while driving his car in an area in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, according to Scioli.
Scioli said the kidnapping began as a car-jacking. But when the assailants realized who Tevez was after checking the car's papers, they “recaptured him as he was walking away, put him in another car, and began calling the family to extort them.”
The car was found abandoned several hours later, according to the media reports.
Argentine federal police received a 911 call from the football player's sister-in-law, the reports said.
Segundo Tevez is married to Tevez's mother. The football player was a child when his biological father died.
Sapa-AFP