A human trafficking investigation has led to the rescue of a 14-year-old female victim and the arrest of a male adult suspect.
On Feb. 25, 2021, at approximately 4:40 a.m., Long Beach Police Department Emergency Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call from a 14-year-old female in distress. The 14-year-old indicated she was pistol whipped to the upper torso. The juvenile victim was able to provide her location to the dispatcher and patrol officers quickly responded to the area of 15th Street and Pine Avenue.
Upon arrival, patrol officers believed the 14-year-old was potentially a human trafficking victim and notified Vice Investigations detectives, who responded to the scene to investigate.
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The 14-year-old called police at 4:40 a.m., saying she had been pistol whipped on her upper body by the suspect, Doran Welch.
During their investigation, vice detectives determined that the 14-year-old had been driven to Los Angeles to work as a commercial sex worker by her suspected trafficker, police said in a statement Friday. A short while later, Welch transported her to Long Beach where he assaulted her with a firearm, according to investigators.
The juvenile victim was able to provide her location to the dispatcher and patrol officers responded to the area of 15th Street and Pine Avenue, police said.
Through their investigation, Vice Detectives identified a suspect who used a commercial sex website to contact the 15-year-old female victim and paid her to perform a sex act on him outside his residence.
On Feb. 12, 2021, Vice Detectives arrested John Ward Herrera, 29-year-old resident of La Puente, who was booked for lewd act with a child, prostitution, and oral copulation with a minor. Bail is set at $100,000.
Original News Release 2/8/2021:
A human trafficking investigation has led to the rescue of a female juvenile and the arrest of two adult suspects.
On Feb. 6, 2021, at approximately 9:05 a.m., officers from West Patrol Division conducted a traffic stop for no license plates on a vehicle in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Lemon Avenue.
Long Beach police rescued a 15-year-old girl and arrested a man and woman on suspicion of human trafficking after pulling a car over during a routine traffic stop, authorities said Monday.