The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office held a conference on Tuesday to discuss the recent arrests of two people accused of human trafficking after a victim was found at a Miami Springs motel.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle was joined by several other law enforcement officials, such as Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones, and Coral Gables Police.
During the conference, Rundle discussed the arrests of Darrell Lamont Robertson Jr., 24, and Eushuun Ileyana Thomas, 22, after Miami Springs Police responded to the Parkway Inn for a call of a female in distress.
Robertson is charged with human trafficking, deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, human trafficking-branding, and child abuse with no great bodily harm, battery. Thomas is charged with human trafficking and renting space to use for prostitution, records showed.
Officers said the victim was crying, “appeared fearful” and was clutching a tattoo on her thigh, a red stiletto with “Heffe” in cursive that appeared to be infected, the report said.
Her 2-year-old daughter was with her, lying on a bed in the room.
The victim said she was involved in prostitution and that her pimp was a man known as “Heffe,” and his assistant was a woman, Thomas, known as “Nu-Nu,” the reports said.
She said she met them in Dallas, where she started doing commercial sex work, and said they had traveled to Memphis, Louisiana, New York and eventually Miami.
She said the pimp, Robertson, had her charge $150 for sex with clients and gave her a $1,000 a night quota, and would give her condoms and a ride to an area in Miami known for commercial sex work, the reports said.
He also took provocative photos of her that were posted on websites advertising prostitution, the reports said.
The victim said she was provided with prescription drugs, and her 2-year-old would be dropped off at a child care facility that operates at night before she was taken to perform commercial sex work, the reports said.
She said Robertson would beat her when she didn’t want to engage in the sex work, and said she was taken to a tattoo parlor on Nov. 14, where Robertson told her “if you’re down for my crown, you will get the tattoo,” the report said.
Thomas also had a similar tattoo of a red stiletto on her thigh with an “H” next to it, and the name “Darrell” tattooed on her upper chest, the reports said.
Records showed that Robertson and Thomas, whose home addresses are in Shreveport, Louisiana, on the arrest reports, were booked into jail and were being held without bond.
Rundle said Miami ranks number one for human trafficking in Florida, and is hoping that their human trafficking task force changes those statistics.
The task force has been operating for 13 years and has helped over 1,300 victims.
Rundle also referenced a former employee of a Miami Beach charter boat business who was also being investigated for teen sex trafficking cases.
Officials said they are also working on a current case and have made six arrests so far.
If you see or know anyone who may be involved in these kinds of crimes, you are urged to call 305-FIXSTOP.
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