Teens arrested for human trafficking in Santa Clara County
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, center, with members of her Human Exploitation Assistance and Response Team and others, take part in a march to raise awareness of human trafficking in Oakland, Calif.,
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Two 17-year-old boys in Santa Clara County were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking two teenage girls, San Jose police said Thursday.
Because the suspects are minors, officials did not identify them.
One suspect is from Morgan Hill, and the other is from San Martin, according to police.
The backstory:
Authorities identified the two teens as suspects in human trafficking following a separate battery investigation back in November 2024.
In November, San Jose police officers responded to Silver Leaf Park about a fight between a 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl.
At the park, police say the 14-year-old was pepper-sprayed by an "unidentified male suspect," and brought to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Dig deeper:
Officials said during their investigation, they learned that both girls in the fight were victims of human trafficking. In January, the two suspects were identified as Santa Clara County teens, and police issued warrants for their arrests.
The first teen was arrested on Feb. 26 in Morgan Hill by human trafficking detectives. On March 31, authorities arrested the second suspect in San Martin.
Both were booked into the Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the San Jose Police Department's Human Trafficking Task Force at 4435@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 537-1224. Anonymous reporting is available.
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The Source: San Jose Police Department