Crime

Arrest, charges and a rescued victim after Fresno law enforcement seek human trafficker

Officers recently rescued a woman from human trafficking and arrested the man they said forced her into having sex for money, Fresno police said Thursday.

The 30-year-old man was arrested after police and the FBI made contact with the victim on Oct. 12, police said in a news release.

The effort was part of an operation specifically targeting human traffickers, police said. The victim was in her 20s, officer Felipe Uribe said.

Police arrested the man on Nov. 8 and served a warrant at his home on Lotus Avenue south of Ventura Street and east of Elm Avenue, according to the release.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office charged him Nov. 10 with human trafficking, pimping, pandering and firearm charges, the release said.

Police said the arrest was part of Operation HOOK, Hands Off Our Kids, which nabbed 19 men trying to arrange sex with minors earlier this month.

If you believe anyone to be a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or local law enforcement.

This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 10:30 AM.

Thaddeus Miller
Merced Sun-Star
Reporter Thaddeus Miller has covered cities in the central San Joaquin Valley since 2010, writing about everything from breaking news to government and police accountability. A native of Fresno, he joined The Fresno Bee in 2019 after time in Merced and Los Banos.
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