On May 10th, at about 5:15 am, Medford police officers responded to a report that a 15-year-old female runaway from Modesto, California was at a local motel. The parent of the child reported that she believed her daughter was at the Motel 6 on Biddle Road and was possibly the victim of sex trafficking. The child had been missing from her Modesto home since April 29th, 2019.
Officers responded to the motel and determined the missing girl was likely in a particular room. The occupants of the room were initially uncooperative but eventually opened the door, as officers rushed in. The missing girl was present in the room, as well as an 18-year-old female and two other adults, identified as Lucious James Roy, 32, of Stockton, California, and Dawniel Santangelo, 41, also from Stockton.
Detectives responded to the scene and conducted a thorough, and on-going investigation. Detectives believe that Roy and Santangelo acted together, as they transported the missing girl from California to Oregon, provided her with marijuana, and engaged her in prostitution.
The missing girl has been reunited with her family in California. Both of the suspects were lodged in jail for:
-Trafficking in Persons
-Compelling Prostitution
-Deliver of Marijuana to Minor
Community Works assisted us with reuniting the 18 year old girl with her family in California.