During a weeklong human trafficking sting operation comprised of more than 100 law enforcement agencies across California, 547 suspects were arrested, and 177 victims were rescued.
Operation Reclaim and Rebuild lasted seven days in L.A. last week, and LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton broke down the numbers Wednesday.
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"We made 205 arrests, which was an increase of about 6% from our 2024 numbers. Of our arrests, 76 were here on the Figueroa Corridor," said Hamilton. "We affected 12 rescues, which was a 33% increase from last year's number of 9, and of the rescues that we had, one was a 14-year-old."
He also spoke about the rescue of an 18-year-old autistic woman during the operation.
"The victim with autism met a human trafficking suspect online [who] convinced her to leave her home and work for him as a commercial sex worker," Hamilton said. "In the middle of the night on January 27, 2025, the victim ran away from home, taking multiple buses to reach the suspect's residence in Riverside County."
An Ebony Alert was immediately issued to assist in locating the victim.
Hamilton said that, thankfully, the victim was found in good health and safely returned to her family while the suspect was apprehended.
He cautions all parents and caregivers: "You've got to know what your kids are doing online...These traffickers are reaching out to these kids on social media."
The department is grateful that the victims they saved were located before being forced into sex work.
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