The SAPD raided an illegal gambling operation masquerading as a smoke shop at the 2031 block of E. First St. in Santa Ana early this morning, at about 7 am, according to their Twitter feed.
The operation housed a good number of video machines used for illegal gambling.
Unfortunately for that area this gambling den was also attracting drug trafficking and prostitution.
The SAPD indicated that more information about this raid would be made available later today.
Carlos Guadalupe Garcia and Leilani Celeste Parker, a pair of 18-year-olds, are facing charges of pimping a teenage girl in Santa Ana and Pomona, according to the O.C. Register.
The suspects were arrested last Friday for allegedly pimping the 15-year-old victim, according to the SAPD.
Garcia and Parker pleaded not guilty on Tuesday and will be returning to the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on Sept. 5.
Both of the suspects face multiple felony charges including human trafficking of an underage victim, pimping for a prostitute younger than 16, and pandering with a minor younger than 16. Garcia is also charged with pimping and pandering of another victim, who is an adult woman.
SAPD police officers who were working an operation in Santa Ana last Friday saw Parker and the teen in a high-prostitution area of the city, where the suspect was allegedly training the girl to be a prostitute.
Orange County District Attorney Press Release
For Immediate Release, Case # 13WF0628: March 28, 2013
*Co-defendant prostitute is charged with recruiting and trafficking the victim
WESTMINSTER – A pimp accused of forcing a 14-year-old girl into prostitution will be arraigned tomorrow as the first defendant to be charged in Orange County with forcible human trafficking of a minor under Proposition 35 (Prop 35). Chuncey Tarae Garcia, 33, is charged with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor by force or fear, pimping a minor, and forcible rape, with sentencing enhancement allegations for forcible rape of a minor 14 years of age and prior prison convictions for possession for sale of cocaine in 2007 and transportation of cocaine in 2009. If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 28 years to life in state prison. He is being held on $1 million bail. Continue reading