SLO County arrests 2 suspected of helping traffic missing 15-year-old Nevada girl
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The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two people suspected of helping to traffic a missing 15-year-old Nevada girl, but the agency is still searching for another.
According to a news release Thursday, investigators from the San Luis Obispo County Counter Human Trafficking Team “were answering online sex ads as part of the statewide effort to curb human sex trafficking under the umbrella of Operation Reclaim and Rebuild.”
According to the release, detectives answered an ad featuring a girl who appeared to be under the age of 18.
The detectives arranged a date with the girl and detained her, according to the release. An investigation determined she was a missing at-risk 15-year-old from Nevada.
Investigators identified a male subject in the area they believed to have possibly trafficked the girl, the Sheriff’s Office said. The man, who has been identified as 26-year-old Joshua Diante Murphy of Madera, allegedly attempted to flee but was detained.
At the time, the Sheriff’s Office said, it did not have probable cause for the Murphy’s arrest so he was released — but a subsequent investigation reportedly revealed evidence he was trafficking the teen with the help of 28-year-old Heather Lynne Hunt of Tipton and 27-year-old Tremaine Quincy Tejon Jones of Bakersfield.
The SLO County Counter Human Trafficking Team contacted Hunt and Jones on March 19 and took both into custody. Their bail is set at $1 million each.
Murphy is still outstanding.
Hunt is charged with trafficking a minor, obscene matter depicting a minor for commercial consideration and conspiracy to commit a crime, while Jones is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, according to the release. Murphy is charged with trafficking a minor, pimping a prostitute under the age of 16, lewd acts with a child, obscene matter depicting a minor for commercial consideration and conspiracy to commit a crime.
The San Luis Obispo County Counter Human Trafficking Team is seeking the public’s help in locating Murphy. If you know the whereabouts of Murphy, call 805-781-4589. Information can also be given to Crime Stoppers via their website, or by calling 805-549-STOP.
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