World News

Texting 911 saved Mexican teen from trafficked in California

In Spanish-to-English messages, the girl attempted to define her place, but she didn't know.

 

A 17-year old girl who had been trafficked from Mexico to Ventura County, California, two months ago was successfully rescued by authorities after she bravely reached out for help by texting 911.

 

Authorities in Ventura County announced on Thursday that a young girl was rescued on 9 May after she managed to send messages to 911.

 

 According to the sheriff's office, the exchange of text messages started with a call taker at a 911 communication center. The office further stated that the messages were initially received in Spanish and then translated into English.

 

Authorities said that the child was able to identify locations and offer other identifying information in the texts, despite not knowing where she or her abductor was. While the 911 dispatcher maintained contact with the girl, other members of the communications center team provided up-to-date information to the authorities who were actively involved in the search.

 

Authorities successfully located the girl after conducting a thorough search of the Casitas Springs area, which is situated approximately 86 miles away from Los Angeles.

The search took approximately 20 minutes to complete. After undergoing an evaluation, she has been transferred to Ventura County Child Family Services, where she will remain until she can be reunited with her family.

It is unclear whether the girl will stay in the US or go back to Mexico, as authorities have not provided any information on the matter.

 

Authorities have revealed the identity of the suspect as Gerardo Cruz, a 31-year-old individual hailing from Veracruz, Mexico.

 

 Cruz has been booked at the pre-trial detention facility and is facing charges of human trafficking, forcible rape, lewd acts upon a child, luring, and sexual penetration with force. The individual is currently being held in custody, with bail set at $500,000.

 

The authorities praised the new feature that allows users to send text messages to emergency call centers. They also highlighted the use of integrated translation technology in a recent incident, where the call taker spoke only English and the victim communicated solely in Spanish. The call taker swiftly understood and replied in English, and the response was promptly translated into Spanish for the victim.

 

According to the state's office of the attorney general, California is recognized as one of the major hubs for human trafficking in the United States.

According to reports to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, a significant percentage of human trafficking cases in California since 2015 have involved minors under the age of 18.