Despite arresting more than 200 people in a sex trafficking sting and rescuing more than 80 juveniles, one 14-year-old female teenager was dead due to drug overdose. According to authorities, she was forced to ingest Xanax while being forced into prostitution.
The four alleged traffickers of the teenager were arrested in the nationwide operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The mother of the 14-year-old said that the suspects knew they had teenaged girls and they intended to traffic both of her daughters.
People reported that a friend of the 14-year-old and her sister, who is 15 years old, was the reason behind them being lured into a sex trafficking ring. The suspects were identified as 20-year-old Karla Michelle Quiros Alsina, 26-year-old Arthur Lee Coleman III, 19-year-old Avorice Jeno Holman and 22-year-old Jose Ignacia Santiago-Sotomayor. It is believed that the trafficking took place between Aug. 8 and 14.
The two sisters were reportedly forced to participate in the commercial sex trade and the victims were shown firearms and threatened that they would kill anyone who interfered with the sex trafficking ring. The 14-year-old was reportedly advertised via Backpage.com and Alsina was responsible of driving her to the men who paid to have sex with her.
The girls also reportedly told their mother they were with a friend and were spending time at that friend's place. They communicated with their mother saying that they were okay via calls and texts.
All four of the suspects were held without bond at the Orange County jail. They are all charged with first-degree murder, human trafficking of a child and racketeering.
The 14-year-old was said to be taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The vehicle was driven by Alsina. They arrived at the hospital at around 11:48 a.m. but the teen was already dead in the backseat. Officials questioned Alsina for hours but was released eventually as it has not yet been ruled a homicide.
The older sister of the teen returned to her family when her mother and a friend sent an Uber driver to pick her up from the suspects' home. This was the same morning when the 14-year-old died. The 15-year-old is now back in school but is under police protection, WFLA reported.
Court dates regarding their initial appearance and what the punishments may be if proven guilty are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, sex trafficking is considered a form of modern slavery that exists not only in U.S. territories but as well as all over the world.
