Sacramento County sheriff arrests sex trafficking suspect detectives say targeted teen girl
Detectives from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 26-year-old man Thursday who they believe has sex trafficked multiple victims, including a 17-year-old girl.
The arrest came nine days after the 17-year-old girl in Arden Arcade reported him for assault and sex trafficking. The Sheriff’s Office said that they identified a second victim during their investigation who is no longer being trafficked, and detectives believe that the man may have other victims.
Anyone with information about other victims may call the Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115.
Detectives found the man in south Sacramento on Thursday night. A Sheriff’s Office news release said the man also had a separate arrest warrant related to alleged domestic violence.
The Sheriff’s Office said that an assault was called in from the Ramada Inn at Fulton Avenue and Auburn Boulevard in Arden Arcade on Feb. 18. When the teenage victim spoke with sheriff’s deputies, she told them she was a sex trafficking victim.
After she disclosed that information, detectives from the agency’s special investigations bureau reported to the scene to speak with the 17-year-old. She told them that she had had sex with the 26-year-old man, and that he started driving her to other cities to have sex with others in exchange for money. She said that when she objected to being forced into sex acts, the 26-year-old pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her, according to the news release.
She also said that at one point, she tried to escape the man, and he threatened to kill anyone who tried to help her escape. Another time, she said according to the Sheriff’s Office news release, he poured hot coffee on her because she said she didn’t want to be forced into sex work.
The teenage girl said that he kept all the money that people paid to have sex with her, sheriff’s officials said.
Detectives ultimately located the man in the 4600 block of Fruitridge Road, where Fox 40 has its studio. The news release said he was detained without incident after a vehicle stop. In the vehicle, detectives said they found a loaded handgun and 32 grams of a substance that they believed was methamphetamine.
The suspect was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail and is currently ineligible for bail. He is scheduled to appear in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday.
