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In July of 2018, Detectives from the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Taskforce began an investigation into allegations that two San Gabriel Valley massage businesses and a single residence, were operating as illicit prostitution brothels. Employees at the locations were reportedly trafficked and forced into commercial sex work by the female owner of the businesses. During the investigation, detectives revealed evidence that financial crimes including money laundering may also be taking place.
On October 23, 2018, search warrants were served at the involved locations and evidence consistent with commercial sex work was found at each location. Mei Xing FA/57 (AKA “Anna”) a resident of San Gabriel, was arrested as she left one of the locations. She was booked at East Los Angeles Station for Human Trafficking charges.
Several women, discovered at the locations were interviewed as potential trafficking victims and referred to Victim Service Providers for additional services.
Mei Xing was released on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on November 16, 2018, at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
These incidents occured at:
300 Block Newby Avenue, San Gabriel (Residence)
9600 Block Garvey Avenue, South El Monte (Royal Massage / Garvey Therapy)
2800 Block Peck Road, El Monte (Rose Spa / Beauty Laser Massage)
Anyone who may have been victimized within this organization or with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Nick Stewart at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Human Trafficking Bureau at (323) 526-5156 or the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking hotline at 888-539-2373.
If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
The operation included task force partners from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), the District Attorney’s Office (LADA), the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Los Angeles Unified School Police (LAUSD), State Parole, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), and the Department of Children and Family Services.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Human Trafficking Bureau houses the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, the nation’s largest co-located human trafficking task force. The Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, county and local law enforcement, social service agency and non-government and community-based organizations investigating and serving the needs of commercially exploited adults and minors victimized for the purpose of sex and labor.
The LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force brings together systems and disciplines to address the victim’s needs through a victim centered, trauma informed approach. The task force employs a regionalized strategy that crosses jurisdictional boundaries to identify and rescue victims while aggressively pursuing traffickers and buyers.
