Heading: Trafficked Mexican Teen Rescued After Texting 911 From California House

Title: Teen Girl Trafficked from Mexico Rescued in California After Texting 911

A 17-year-old girl trafficked into the US from Mexico was rescued from a California house after texting 911 for help. The young woman, who only speaks Spanish, was reportedly smuggled into California by a 31-year-old Mexican national who is accused of raping her.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office received texts in Spanish to 911 around 3 a.m. on May 9, pleading for help. Despite not knowing her exact location, the victim provided landmarks and other identifiable information visible from the home, assisting authorities in locating her.

Deputies quickly located the victim in Casitas Springs, 20 minutes after the search began. The suspect, Gerardo Cruz, was arrested and charged with human trafficking, forcible rape, lewd acts upon a child, luring, and sexual penetration with force. He is currently held on $500,000 bail.

The victim, now safe, is under the care of the Ventura County Child Family Services until she can be reunited with her family. The sheriff’s office praised the use of texting technology for emergency situations, as it enabled effective communication between the victim, who only spoke Spanish, and the English-speaking call taker.

This rescue highlights the importance of technology in emergency response and the dedicated efforts of law enforcement to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals.