A 16-year-old, said to have been a victim of human trafficking, was rescued by Pomona police during a vice patrol in the area known as the Holt Corridor, authorities said.
Officers were in the area Saturday in response to complaints from residents and business owners about prostitution and related crimes on Holt Avenue, said Cpl. Dan Gomez of the Pomona Police Department's Major Crimes Task Force.
During the patrol, officers encountered and rescued the 16-year-old victim, who was not further identified because of their age.
"The victim was interviewed and appropriate resources were activated to provide assistance to the victim,'' Gomez said. "The Pomona Police Department takes a zero tolerance approach to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
"The Pomona Police Department is taking a proactive approach to improving the quality of life by addressing and deterring human trafficking and prostitution activities along the Holt Avenue corridor. The goal of the operation was to target prostitution-related crimes and focus attention on the entire Holt Corridor with a priority placed on recovering juveniles, arresting prostitutes and arresting johns. The Pomona Police Department continues to pursue the identification and prosecution of human traffickers (pimps) who facilitate the prostitution activity along the Holt Corridor.''
Anyone with information regarding Human Trafficking or the case involving the 16-year-old is asked to contact the Pomona Police Department at (909) 620-2085 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-(800)-222-8477.
