300 block of Aloha Drive
SAN LEANDRO – Three suspected prostitutes were released shortly after being arrested, following a sting operation that led San Leandro police to search a home on 300 block of Aloha Drive, where evidence of a brothel was found, which may be part of larger human trafficking scheme.
Two Chinese-American women and one Chinese national who’d arrived one week ago were apprehended and charged with resisting arrest, after running outside from the back of the house, when police showed up and served a search warrant.
The recently arrived woman admitted she was engaging in prostitution, said Lt. Robert McManus. The three women arrested ranged from age 31 to 54.
“We are not releasing any further information about the people arrested, because this is an ongoing investigation to determine if this is related to human trafficking,” McManus said.
All three women were booked at the San Leandro Jail, but subsequently released after the Alameda County District Attorney’s Offices decided not to file charges. The goal in such situations is to direct the women to social services to help them escape from forced prostitution.
Neighbors complained they believed a brothel was operating, prompting an investigation. An undercover detective used a website frequented by johns and texted a woman who agreed to perform a sex act for him for $160.
Then police began surveillance of the house on October 6, watching suspected johns coming and going during the morning, before obtaining a search warrant later that afternoon.
Police found an operational surveillance system at the house allowing individuals inside the kitchen to monitor the front and side of the house.
They found little furniture inside the house, except for mattresses on the floor in several rooms, with condoms and lubricant on small tables. The rooms also contained suitcases filled with women’s lingerie. All evidence typically associated with prostitution.
Police seized approximately $1,500 in cash and other items, as evidence for a wider investigation in cooperation with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit.
