A missing girl was found during the arrest of a human trafficking suspect in Los Angeles, police announced Monday.
The Anaheim Police Department said the investigation into this case began on April 28, when the 17-year-old victim was reported missing from her Irvine home.
Orange County investigators learned that the teen, whose identity was not released, was possibly being exploited for purposes of commercialized sex.
Officials launched a human trafficking investigation and began searching for the missing girl.
The next day, April 29, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force found the missing girl and her trafficker together in Los Angeles.
Details on the arrest are limited, but police identified the suspect as Alex Polidore, 23, of Hawthorne, and noted that he is a convicted felon.
Investigators recovered the girl, whose health status was not immediately provided, and booked Polidore at the Anaheim Police Department Detention Facility for a parole violation and multiple human trafficking offenses.
On May 1, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office formally charged Polidore with human trafficking of a minor. Police said he remains in custody on $1 million bail.
Police said that if you, or anyone you know, has been a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 888-373-7888 or contact your local law enforcement department.
