MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tevez' father victim of a double crime, released after paying ransom

Segundo Tevez was first car-jacked, but when criminals realized he was Carlitos father they returned and abducted him

The father of Juventus forward Carlos Tevez, Segundo Tevez, has been released after being kidnapped for more than eight hours in the city of Morón, in Buenos Aires province. The player later thanked those who had sent their support during the ordeal.

 “He is just fine,” the family lawyer Gustavo Galasso said to reporters.

Cabral was set free around 1.30 p.m. Tuesday after a ransom was paid. The sum later disclosed by Carlos's brother, Diego was 400.000 Argentine Pesos, approximately 35.000 dollars.

Tévez used his official twitter account to express his gratitude to those whom he said gave “the support they always do”.

“My father is ok, safe and healthy” the forward told followers, while extending his gratitude to Buenos Aires governor Daniel Scioli, City mayor Mauricio Macri and Security secretary Sergio Berni.

Tévez also sent a message to close friend Scioli and Macri, pleading for co-operation from the pair.

“Let them work together and fight to take this country forwards,” he expressed, adding that “we should not be pulling for one political party, here we have to fight as one.”

Segundo Tevez was intercepted around 7 a.m. Tuesday, while he was driving his car near Morón. The thieves took the expensive vehicle, a common crime in Argentina and left the driver in the corner of the incident.

However on checking the owner of the vehicle, the criminals went back and abducted him and called Segundo Tevez daughter in law in Buenos Aires city for an initial ransom request, but minutes later they asked for a much larger sum.

The former Manchester City scorer 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.

Scioli said the kidnapping began as a car-jacking. But when the assailants realized who Cabral 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.

“With the sadness I have, it would be easy to criticize my country, but with all its defects and virtues it's the country I love”, twitted Carlos Tevez.