A 17-year-old trafficking victim was rescued by Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in California after texting 911, authorities said.
At approximately 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, the sheriff’s office received a text message in Spanish asking for help from the victim. The message was then translated from Spanish to English and responding officers were told by the victim that she did not know where she was, the press release said.
Police said although the victim did not know her exact location, she was able to identify landmarks and other things nearby to help the sheriff’s office reach her.
After some back and forth, officers were dispatched and were able to locate the victim within 20 minutes, police said.
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Victim tells deputies she was trafficked from Mexico
During the preliminary investigation, the victim revealed that she had been trafficked from Mexico to Ventura County, California two months ago. The victim was also able to identify the suspect as Gerardo Cruz of Veracruz, Mexico, the news release said.
“We don’t know the specific route she took, but we do know it was by illegal means to get here from Mexico,” Detective Chris Dyer told Ventura County Star, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. “We’re still figuring out how she got here. She went through some different people and places.”
After speaking with the police, the victim was evaluated and transferred to the Children’s Family Services of Ventura Countywhere they will help her reunite with her family.
Cruz, 31, was quickly located and arrested, police said.
Suspect faces multiple charges
Detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau’s Sexual Assault Unit booked Cruz on multiple charges. On Monday, May 13, Cruz was arraigned in Ventura Superior Court for:
Cruz is now in custody and his bond has been set at $500,000.
USA TODAY reached out to Detective Dyer for more details on the case but did not hear back.
Help for victims of trafficking
If you know someone who may be a victim of human trafficking or suspect someone of running a human trafficking operation, call your local law enforcement agency or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Callers can remain anonymous.
More information about human trafficking can be found at www.polarisproject.org.
Contributing: Dua AnjumVentura County Star.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter for USA TODAY’s National Trending Team. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. follow her Instagram, Topics It is X (Twitter).
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: 17-Year-Old Girl Saved From Sex Trafficking After Texting 911 For Help
