MEDFORD, Ore. — Medford Police arrested a man and woman from Stockton, California after responding to a report that a 15-year-old runaway may be at a local motel.
Officers got the call shortly after 5 in the morning on Friday, May 10th, 2019. The parent of the 15-year-old told police she believed her daughter was at the Motel 6 on Biddle Road and was possibly the victim of sex trafficking. The girl had been missing from her home in Modesto, California since April 29th, 2019.
Officers responded to the motel and determined the missing girl was likely in a particular room. The occupants of the room were initially uncooperative but eventually opened the door. Police say they found the missing teen in the room, as well as an 18-year-old female and two other adults, identified as 32-year-old, Lucious James Roy, and 41-year-old Dawniel Santangelo.
Detectives believe that Roy and Santangelo acted together. They say the two transported the missing girl from California to Oregon, provided her with marijuana, and engaged her in prostitution.
The missing girl has since been reunited with her family in California.
Roy and Santangelo are in the Jackson County Jail on charges of trafficking, compelling prostitution, and delivery of marijuana to a minor. Their bail is set at $300,000 and $250,000 respectively.
Medford Police says Community Works helped them reunite the 18-year-old girl with her family in California. This is an on-going investigation.
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