Two Fresno Residents Arrested for Human Trafficking in Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD — Two people from Fresno are under behind bars today after being arrested on Wednesday during a police prostitution sting in Bakersfield.
Nathan Johnson-Harper, 30, and 24-year-old Ariel Mills were booked into the Kern County Jail for human trafficking and conspiracy.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the pair were arrested after detectives from the Joint Vice Task Force conducted prostitution stings in several locations in the greater Bakersfield area on August 26. During the sting, officers made contact and arrested a 17-year-old female juvenile, who told them that she was the victim of human trafficking from the Fresno area. After checking out her story, detectives were able to gather enough evidence to arrest Harper and Mills who were taken into custody without incident.
The unidentified juvenile victim was taken into protective custody.
According to available records, Ariel Mills has been arrested at least five times in the past two years. In October of 2013 she was arrested by Anaheim Police for loitering to commit prostitution. She reported a Las Vegas, Nevada address at that time, but by her next arrest, on January 14, 2014, she was living in Fresno. In that incident she was charged by Bakersfield police with disorderly conduct – prostitution. On January 25 she was arrested for the same charge by Los Angeles Police. A year later, on January 24 of 2015, she was charged with prostitution again in Kern County. She was booked for prostitution by the Kern County Sheriff’s department once again on May 25.
Johnson-Harper, who is also known as simply Nathan Johnson, was arrested in November of 2013 by Fresno police for evading an officer with wanton disregard for public safety, and resisting arrest. On January 6 of 2014 he was charged with driving without a license and several vehicle code violations. He also presented forged documents and gave false information to the officer. He was also arrested for marijuana possession in February, and resisting or obstructing an officer in December.
