A 17-year-old girl was rescued and a man was arrested after she was allegedly trafficked into the United States from Mexico, according to authorities in Southern California. The girl managed to send a text message to authorities, seeking help and providing enough details about the landmarks around her for the police to locate her.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center in California was alerted to a distress message at approximately 3 a.m. on Thursday, April 9. According to a news release from the sheriff’s department, the message contained urgent pleas for assistance and was written in Spanish. A diligent dispatcher at the center initiated communication with the individual sending the text, despite their lack of knowledge about their location. The texter, however, provided valuable details, including various landmarks and other identifiable information. The dispatcher promptly relayed this information to the deputies stationed at the Ojai Sheriff’s Sub-Station.
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The deputies swiftly initiated a search in the Casita Springs area, and within a mere 20 minutes, they successfully located the individual who had sent the text.
The person sending the text messages was identified as a 17-year-old girl, although her name and hometown have not been disclosed to the public.
According to officials, the investigation revealed that the girl had been trafficked into California approximately two months ago. After being evaluated, she was transferred to Ventura County Child Family Services, where she will remain until she can be reunited with her family. It is not known at this time whether the girl has family in the U.S. or when the reunion is expected to take place.
A suspect in the case, Gerardo Cruz of Veracruz, Mexico, was identified by the girl. Officials stated that Cruz, 31, was swiftly located and apprehended by deputies.
According to online records, Cruz is currently being held at the Todd Road Jail on a bail of $500,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 22nd.
