Six people have been arrested in an operation targeting “sex purchasers and human traffickers” in Pomona, police said Wednesday.
Authorities on Tuesday conducted an undercover operation at East Holt Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard.
Officers posed as sex workers and were contacted by six people:
- Christian Crothers, 48, of Pomona
- Rito Garcia-Gonzalez, 31, of Pomona
- Christian Hernandez, 36, of Ontario
- Alan Flores, 28, of Pomona
- Aurelio Lepe, 46, of Whittier
- Pedro Evangelista, 21, of Pomona
The first five were arrested on suspicion of solicitation for prostitution, while Evangelista faces a charge of committing lewd acts in public.
“The Pomona Police Department takes a proactive approach to combating human trafficking and utilizes the assistance of other agencies to provide a victim-centered approach,” authorities said in a news release.
Last year, the agency rescued 11 juvenile victims of human trafficking and several adults.
Anyone with more information about those arrested, or who knows of unidentified victims of human trafficking, is asked to call Pomona police at 909- 622-1241. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Additionally, information can be reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or via text message to 233733.