Woman Enticed By Man On Facebook, Forced To Live In Closet
A woman was forced to live in a closet for a year after being lured by a man on Facebook. The young woman was physically and sexually abused on a daily basis, according to Richmond, California, police.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents and Richmond police raided the home where the woman was held captive in a closet and arrested a 35-year-old man and his male relative in connection with the alleged crime.
Police say the men enticed the woman and lured her from her home in Nicaragua through Facebook, promising work and a better life in the United States.
After being held captive in a closet for a year, the woman was somehow able to contact an agent from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who in turn, contacted Richmond police detectives, according to a report by ABC7 News.
Advocates from the organization, STAND! For Families Free of Violence, contacted Richmond police detectives as well.
Susan Kim, spokesperson for the West Contra Costa Family Justice Center, shared her thoughts regarding the woman being abused and having to live in a closet for a year.
“We believe this is a human trafficking case because there was either fraud or coercion involved.”
An unidentified woman spoke with ABC7 News and said she was one of several neighbors who were able to catch glimpses of the woman who was allegedly held captive in a closet and sexually abused.
Gabriel Garcia, a neighbor of the woman living in the closet, described what she saw to ABC7 News, explaining the man who allegedly imprisoned her was a painter who was married with a child.
“But then, I think she moved out and then there was another girl I saw there. I used to see the lady cleaning, opening the doors wide up and she would be cleaning, you know, just hi and bye that’s it.”
After Richmond police received a tip from U.S. Homeland Security, it took 12 hours to make the arrests.
U.S. Homeland Security officials are checking into whether the two men had been trafficking other women as well.
Two men from this Richmond apt arrested on charges of human trafficking. Police say Nicaraguan Woman was victim. pic.twitter.com/OsRJKJceoY
— Vic Lee (@vicleeabc7) July 22, 2015
Richmond police released limited details about 35-year-old Eulogio Constantino-Sanchez, who is one of the men arrested on suspicion of rape, corporal injury, kidnapping, conspiracy, and false imprisonment, according to an L.A. Times article.
According to Fox News‘ coverage, Richmond detectives were able to locate the woman in a house in Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood, about 20 miles northeast of San Francisco, by using the woman’s cellphone and with the support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Here’s a brief excerpt from the Richmond police statement.
“Evidence at the residence confirmed all the information the detectives had obtained.”
The police are withholding the identity and condition of the woman rescued from the closet. However, they stated that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security might take over the investigation.
[Featured image via Richmond Police]
