A teenage girl who fell victim to human trafficking was rescued after texting 911, authorities said.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office in California received a desperate text message in Spanish from the 17-year-old female victim pleading for help in the early hours of Thursday, May 9, at around 3.30am. The message was translated into English, and although the girl didn't know exactly where she was, she could describe nearby landmarks, and responding deputies were able to locate her within 20 minutes, police said.
The young girl disclosed to police that she had been trafficked from Mexico to Ventura County, California two months prior and identified a suspect as 31-year-old Gerardo Cruz of Veracruz, Mexico. Detective Chris Dyer told the Ventura County Star: "We don't know the specific route that she travelled, but we know it was through illegal means to get up here from Mexico.
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She was trafficked to Ventura County, California (Getty Images/National Geographic Creative)"We're still kind of putting together how she got here. She came through a couple of different people and a couple of different locations." The detective said that integrated translation technology offers several languages and has been around for about two years.
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He said that text messages are treated just like a 911 call, and that it can be easier for some victims to send a text message rather than make a call. After her rescue, the victim received an evaluation and was taken into the care of Ventura County Child Family Services, which will assist in reuniting her with her family.
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Cruz was found and arrested, according to the police. Detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau's Sexual Assault Unit have charged Cruz with multiple offences.
On Monday, May 13, Cruz faced charges in the Ventura Superior Court for human trafficking, forcible rape, lewd acts upon a child, luring, and sexual penetration with force. Cruz is currently in custody with bail set at $500,000.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said in a press release: "Human trafficking affects all of us. Thousands of people are trafficked each year into the United States and forced into sex and labour markets. Most victims are forced into mounting debt and quarantined from contact with family and friends."
If you know of any potential victims of human trafficking or suspect someone of participating in a related operation, contact the police or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Callers can remain anonymous. More information can be found at www.polarisproject.org.
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