Eleven people were arrested at a Morgan Hill hotel last week on suspicion of prostitution and drug offenses as part of a three-day nationwide child sex trafficking sweep conducted by the FBI.
The Morgan Hill Police Department participated in the sweep, known as Operation Cross Country, which involved more than 92 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in 27 states, according to a press release from the local department.
On Oct. 23 and 24, officers from the MHPD Special Operations Division and the patrol division conducted a sting at a local hotel in an effort to arrest child sex traffickers and other sex crimes offenders. The hotel was not identified in the press release.
Police arrested David Lopez, 25, of Hollister, who was cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution. They also apprehended Athanasios Amaxopoulos, 30, of Morgan Hill, cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution; Jane Min, 19, of Carmichael, cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution; Archie Richard, 28, of Sacramento, arrested and booked on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and violation of parole; Cynthia Loman, 33, of San Jose, cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution; Javier Martinez, 25, of San Jose, arrested and booked for suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sales, child endangerment, possession of counterfeit money, and committing a second offense while out on bail; Jason Perry, 34, of Gilroy, arrested and booked for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution; Krystan Johansen, 20, of Portland, Ore., cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution; Maura Barry, 25, of Santa Clara, cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution; Bianca Ruiz, 20, of Richmond, cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution; and Tinequa Antoine, 20, of Richmond, cited and released for suspicion of soliciting for prostitution.
Martinez and Loman arrived at the hotel together, according to the press release. After Loman was arrested for prostitution, officers determined that Martinez had been waiting for her in her vehicle. Martinez allegedly told officers he had just met Loman earlier in the day, when she asked him to join her at the hotel. Martinez had also brought his 2-year-old daughter.
Officers searched Martinez's vehicle and reportedly found counterfeit cash and 72 methadone pills hidden within his daughter's diaper bag. Martinez was arrested and booked into county jail, and his daughter was turned over to child protective services, according to the press release.
Nationwide, Operation Cross Country resulted in the arrest of 642 people for sex crimes, and the removal of 47 children from the cycle of victimization, according to the release.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, 136 people were arrested. Eleven law enforcement agencies participated in the sweep.
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