Authorities in Ventura County, California, were tipped off last week to a suspected sex trafficker and rapist when a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly smuggled into the U.S. by the Mexican national texted 911 from the house she was being held in.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday that “In the early morning hours of May 9th, deputies working the Ojai Sheriff’s Sub-Station rescued a female human trafficking victim who had text[ed] ‘911’ to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center.”
The young girl doesn’t speak English and could only provide details about the landmarks surrounding the house, but officers translated the texts into English and pieced together the clues given by the 17-year-old. Despite the limited information, deputies found the victim in just 20 minutes.
“Simultaneously as the call taker was engaging with the victim, other…
