201903.18
0

Oakland man arrested on suspicion of pimping underage girls in Santa Ana

by in News

Police have arrested an Oakland man on suspicion of trafficking at least three minors as prostitutes in Santa Ana.

Patrol officers in the area of Harbor Boulevard and Hazard Avenue identified a 16-year-old human trafficking victim who was rescued on Saturday, March 9, according to a news release from the Santa Ana Police Department. It said a followup investigation led authorities to identify Malik Omar Malveaux, 21, as the girl’s alleged pimp.

Police arrested Malik Malveaux, 21, of Oakland on Monday, March 11, on suspicion of trafficking three underage girls for prostitution in Santa Ana. His three alleged victims, who were between the ages of 13 and 16, were rescued and referred to Orange County Social Services. (Photo courtesy of the Santa Ana Police Department)

Vice detectives spotted the suspect’s car at a motel in Santa Ana and contacted him in a room, along with two alleged additional human trafficking victims on Sunday, March 10. One girl was 13 years old, and the other was 15 years old, according to the release. They were taken into the custody of Orange County Social Services, while Malveaux was detained by police.

He was arrested on Monday, March 11 and booked into the Santa Ana Jail.

Malveaux was later charged with three counts of human trafficking a minor, four counts of pandering with a minor, two counts of attempting to pimp a minor and a count of pimping a minor, all felonies. He also faces sentencing enhancement allegations for human trafficking with force and fear of a minor.

Malveaux’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 29.

City News Service contributed to this story.