NORRISTOWN, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — Authorities in Montgomery County announced the arrest of two alleged human traffickers Thursday after one of them allegedly shot the other last week in Norristown.
The Montgomery County District Attorney and Norristown police said 24-year-old Efran Flores-Rodriguez and 42-year-old Fernando Meza-Ramirez operated rival sex trafficking rings in Norristown, and investigators were tipped off to the operations after Flores-Rodriguez allegedly trailed and shot Meza-Ramirez as he stopped in Norristown in the early evening of Friday, Feb. 13.
That night, Norristown police responded to multiple shots fired on a block of Sandy Street, near Walnut Street, just before 7:30 p.m. They found Meza-Ramirez in a Toyota Rav-4 with a gunshot wound to his thigh. His car was also struck by multiple bullets.
He was taken to the hospital and treated for his wound. When interviewed, Meza-Ramirez said he was followed as he went to Norristown to get tacos and pulled over on Sandy Street, when he was shot.
Further investigation found several business cards for Meza-Ramirez that displayed scantily-clad women and advertised sex services. Eventually, authorities learned he was in the business of driving women from New York City to Norristown for prostitution. They also said he was in a turf war with Flores-Rodriguez, who is alleged to be a rival sex trafficker in Norristown.
Authorities said on the night of Feb. 13, Flores-Rodriguez spotted Meza-Ramirez’s car on Lafayette Street in Norristown and followed it to Sandy Street in a stolen white Acura TLX. Once on Sandy Street, police said the Acura parked next to Meza-Rodriguez’s car and Flores-Rodriguez shot him from the back seat before fleeing.
When authorities searched Flores-Rodriguez’s residence on Feb. 17, they found the stolen Acura, two semi-automatic firearms, and an alleged trafficked victim, who said she was from Flushing, New York. Investigators said the woman broke down how Flores-Rodriguez’s operation worked and that she previously worked for Meza-Ramirez.
Both Flores-Rodriguez and Meza-Ramirez were arrested on Feb. 17 on human trafficking charges. Flores-Rodriguez faces an additional attempted murder charge. Both were also denied bail by a judge and remain in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing for both men is scheduled for April 10.