Mountain View Police seek additional victims in human trafficking case
Photo: Carlos Garza and Evelia Galvez
MOUNTAIN VIEW – The Mountain View Police Department is looking for additional victims in a human trafficking case involving sex and labor trafficking of unsuspecting minors.
According to PIO Katie Nelson, “On Oct. 4, Mountain View detectives, as well as patrol officers, responded to a home on the 1900 block of Latham Street to follow up on a report that a man had attempted to sexually assault a teenage girl a few months prior.”
Nelson said, “While speaking with that victim, detectives learned she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Garza and by other men Garza brought to the house, who would pay Garza to sleep with the victim.”
9-1-1 calls were repeatedly made from the apartment in which a man was threatening to shoot a woman living there, as well as a request for a welfare check of a young male teenager living in the apartment.
Mountain View Police discovered that 33-year-old Mountain View resident Carlos Garza, also known by the names of Gabino Galvez and Mynor Tobar, had rented the apartment, and was continually sexually assaulting young female tenants. The investigation unveiled how Garza and his sister Evelia De Maria Galvez were actively transporting illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the United States in order to benefit from their illegal status.
Garza was arrested on Dec. 20th, 2018 on suspicion of multiple counts of human trafficking. Galvez was also arrested that same day on suspicion of accessory to a crime and intimidation of a victim. Detectives are asking that anyone who may be a victim of either Garza or Galvez to come forward.
Victims and anyone who has any additional information on this case can reach out to Detective Marco Garcia at marco.garcia@mountainview.gov.
