RUSK COUNTY, Texas — A San Antonio man is in custody after a missing juvenile case out of Rusk County led authorities on a multi-state investigation, ending with an arrest in New Mexico.
On August 20, 2025, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing juvenile under the age of 17, identified as Pseudonym 25-022 for privacy. Investigators determined that the juvenile was picked up by Kyle Steven Eckmann, 20, of San Antonio, Texas.
While initially expected to return home, the juvenile never did and later disclosed having made statements of self-harm to a parent during a phone conversation. Investigators tracked Eckmann’s movements through cell phone data and credit card use, showing travel through Henderson, Texas, into the San Antonio and Austin areas, then west toward El Paso and into New Mexico.
On the night of August 22, 2025, New Mexico State Police attempted to stop Eckmann’s vehicle on Interstate 10. Eckmann fled at high speeds, crossing into opposing lanes before the vehicle came to rest in a water-filled ditch. The juvenile was located inside the vehicle and told authorities she had been held against her will.
According to investigators, Eckmann ordered the juvenile not to speak to law enforcement and made threatening gestures, reaching into his waistband. The juvenile reported being in fear for her safety and experiencing pain consistent with possible injury. She was transported to a local medical facility and later released into the custody of New Mexico Family Services.
Eckmann was arrested and transported to the Luna Detention Center in New Mexico, where he was booked on multiple felony charges. A forensic interview conducted at a local Child Advocacy Center revealed the juvenile had left home with Eckmann in an attempt to dissuade him from harming himself but later asked to return home. She stated that Eckmann refused to let her leave. The juvenile did not report any sexual assault or physical contact.
Authorities confirmed that Eckmann and the juvenile had communicated intermittently through social media in recent years. Investigators flagged Eckmann’s vehicle near border crossings due to its proximity to Mexico, issued multiple BOLOs, and worked in coordination with Texas Rangers, El Paso Police Department, Texas DPS, Las Cruces Police Department, and New Mexico State Police.
On August 23, 2025, arrest warrants were obtained through Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 for Kidnapping (F3) and Unlawful Restraint: Expose to Serious Bodily Injury (F3).
The juvenile remains in the care of New Mexico Family and Protective Services while her mother travels to Las Cruces.
