Long Beach police say they rescued 3 teenage girls from human trafficking
One of the victims, a 14-year-old girl, was working as a prostitute in North Long Beach when officers found her, police said.
Long Beach police say they rescued three teenage girls who were being trafficked and arrested an alleged pimp in the process.
Officers on Jan. 15 found a 14-year-old girl who had been trafficked working as a prostitute near Long Beach and Artesia boulevards, the Long Beach Police Department said.
Five days later on Jan. 20, officers pulled over 37-year-old Huston Hughes of Los Angeles and found two girls — ages 16 and 17 — in his car, police said.
The girls were being trafficked, and Hughes had sexually battered one of them, according to police.
The 37-year-old was already on parole for pimping and a weapons violation when the officers stopped him, police said. He was taken into custody on suspicion of sexual battery with a prior felony conviction and for violating his parole, they added.
It's unclear who was trafficking the 14-year-old girl.
Police said all three teens were released into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services. They have since been reunited with their families, according to the LBPD.
“I want to commend our officers for their service to our community, and for their exceptional work in addressing community safety concerns and rescuing these vulnerable individuals,” Chief of Police Wally Hebeish said in a statement.
The LBPD asks that anyone with more information about these investigations to call 562-570-7219.
To report human trafficking, contact the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. If someone is in immediate danger, contact 9-1-1.
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