3 Santa Maria men arrested on suspicion of having sex with a minor
The Santa Maria Police Department has arrested three men for unlawful sex with a minor at a local motel after an investigation pointed officers to a potential human trafficking case in the city.
According to a news release, officers came into contact with the three Santa Maria men — Gabriel Campos-Lopez, 51; Pedro Morales Abotye, 57; and Ramiro Morales Buenrostro, 37 — and an unnamed juvenile victim while investigating a case that involved prostitution. Detectives were notified and the department opened a case into potential human trafficking.
All three were booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of unlawful intercourse with a minor; Buenrostro faces an additional charge of oral copulation with a minor; and Abotye faces charges of rape and pimping of a minor.
According to the release, the juvenile was secured and provided with various services.
Kaytlyn Leslie: 805-781-7928, @kaytyleslie
This story was originally published February 19, 2018 at 8:31 PM with the headline "3 Santa Maria men arrested on suspicion of having sex with a minor."