Two women were arrested on suspicion of operating a prostitution home in La Quinta, where about $14,000 in cash, according to sheriffs, was also seized when a search warrant was issued in an office suite on the 79000 block of Highway 111.
Mei Ya Liu, 50, from San Gabriel, and Guowen Wu, 43, from Alhambra, were arrested around 10:30 a.m. Friday on charges of inciting prostitution and maintaining a home for prostitution or fornication.
The search warrant was issued by the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team with the help of the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, and arose from an earlier incident in which the Riverside County Sheriff said a sexual act had been previously negotiated in return. For money.
The office suite is located in the mall anchored by Sprouts and Best Buy.
Liu and Wu were arrested at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio. Liu was released Friday on $2,500 bail, while Wu was quoted and released. Both are scheduled to appear in court on July 6 in Indio.
No trafficking victims were identified during the investigation, officials said.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that 1 in 6 reported endangered runaways is likely a victim of sex trafficking.
Report human trafficking activities or tips to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at (888) 373-7888.
Anyone with information is asked to call Deputy Maggie Lopez at the Thermal Sheriff’s Station, (760) 863-8990, or Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP (7867).
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This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Two Arrested in La Quinta on Suspected Running a Prostitution Home
