By Rebecca Ellis
Los Angeles Times
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. 鈥� A 17-year-old girl was able to save herself from being trafficked by texting 911.
The teenager, who authorities said was a victim of human trafficking, began texting the emergency number with 鈥減leas for help鈥� around 3 a.m. on May 9, according to the Ventura County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.
The texts were routed to the Sheriff Office鈥檚 communication center, where staff began translating the messages from Spanish.
In a news release, the department said the teenager began texting landmarks and other 鈥渋dentifiable information鈥� she was seeing, which helped the agency quickly dispatch deputies to the correct area. The teenager was located in Casitas Springs.
Investigators said they believed the victim was trafficked to Ventura County roughly two months ago from Mexico. She has been placed with the county鈥檚 Children & Family Services until authorities can locate her family, according to the release.
The department arrested Gerardo Cruz, 31, a native of Veracruz, Mexico. His bail is set at half a million dollars.
Ventura County began allowing people to reach 911 dispatchers via text in 2021.
The change was meant to make emergency dispatch services more accessible to people with speech impairments or people in emergency situations who can鈥檛 make phone calls, such as victims of domestic abuse, the reported at the time.
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