Text messages to 911 help save 17-year-old human trafficking victim

CASITAS SPRINGS, VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) — The Ventura County Sheriff's Office was able to rescue a human trafficking victim earlier this month using a little-known feature of its 911 system: text messages.

Sheriff's officials say a 17-year-old girl was being held against her will in the isolated rural community of Casitas Springs.

“Across the country, we face human trafficking, and we are not immune to it in Ventura County,” said Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.

After receiving a text message from the girl around 3 a.m. on May 9, dispatchers were able to guide officers to her location within minutes.

The girl, who had been trafficked from her home in Mexico two months earlier, was evaluated and transferred to Ventura County Children and Family Services.

Deputies also arrested Gerardo Cruz, 31, who now faces a series of charges, including rape and human trafficking.

Authorities say the girl's text demonstrated the importance of her option to text 911. The girl, who does not speak English, sent a text in Spanish, which the system quickly translated into English for the dispatcher.

When the dispatcher responded, this message was automatically translated into Spanish.

“It will be translated into the same language, so the caller will only see it in the language they sent it in,” said Commander Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, who adds that not speaking can be vital in some cases. “A text message allows for that silent communication. If you find yourself in a situation where someone has a prowler in their home… you can send a text message and give updates and things like that without alerting anyone of your presence.”

The Ventura County Sheriff's Dispatch Center has been set up to receive emergency text messages since 2019.