Jaylin Juwan Marshall, a 20-year-old Sacramento resident, and Michael Wayne Greer, a 24-year-old Sacramento resident, are facing charges of pimping a minor for prostitution and human trafficking of a minor.
The investigation came after undercover detectives met a girl online who was advertised as being in her 20s. They arranged to meet her for sex at the Red Roof Inn in Santa Ana.
When the officer arrived, police say the girl was actually 17 years old, and in the bathroom, they found a 16-year-old girl. Detectives say the girls were very happy to see them, calling them their heroes.
"The girls basically jumped for joy, saying, 'Thank you, please help,'" said Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
Police working with the FBI say they arrested Greer at the Santa Ana motel. Marshall was found at a hotel near Disneyland.
Police say that the suspects befriended the high school juniors in Sacramento over four months, gaining their trust. They said that they were taking the girls on a vacation to L.A.
The alleged pimping began in San Jose before coming to Santa Ana. The suspects allegedly told the girls to earn their own way through prostitution.
"They knew they were in trouble was when they told them, 'OK, now that we're on this vacation, you're going to pay for it, you're going to make the money, and you're going to do that by having sex with men,'" said Bertagna.
They were left with no money, ID or way to get back home. According to police, the girls were naïve and told their parents they were staying at each other's houses. It was unclear how long the girls had been held against their will.
Officials say the two girls have been reunited with their parents.
