Sting Operation in Santa Rosa Nabs Prostitutes and Pimp

By: Sylvia Ramirez - Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:56:24 -0800

SANTA ROSA (BCN)--Santa Rosa police have six women and a male pimp in custody for soliciting prostituton, a Santa Rosa police sergeant said.

The arrests on Tuesday were part of a sting operation targeting Internet advertising of in-call and out-call prostitution, Sgt. Mike Tosti said.

"Detectives were specifically targeting human sex trafficking involving victimization of young people for the profit of their traffickers and pimps," Tosti said in a statement.

Police said Mike Lavella Turner, 19, of Oakland, was acting as a pimp and drove two females to a Santa Rosa hotel where one of the females solicited an undercover officer for prostitution.

Turner fled in a vehicle when detectives tried to stop him in the hotel parking lot but he was eventually arrested, Tosti said.

Detectives found a 17-year-old girl inside the vehicle as well as a loaded firearm and evidence linking Turner to human trafficking, according to Tosti.

Turner was arrested on suspicion of pimping and pandering, human trafficking, willful cruelty to a minor, possession of a loaded firearm and on outstanding felony warrants, Tosti said.

Arrested or cited for prostitution were Jennifer Marie Stroud, 32, of Santa Rosa; Trysha Drum, 22, of Merced; Brittany Nicole Millman, 20, of Richmond; Fuey Saechao, 20, of Oakland; Brittany Eran Mares, 29, of Benicia and Marina Venza, 20, of Santa Rosa.

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