Press Releases

Details: 

On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, members of the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT), in partnership with personnel from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station, conducted a sex trafficking demand reduction operation at an undisclosed location in the City of Lake Elsinore. The intent of the operation was to send a clear and firm message that illicit criminal activities, to include the sex trafficking of women and children, are not welcome to operate within the city of Lake Elsinore, or anywhere else within the County of Riverside.

Law enforcement officers, operating in an undercover capacity, placed decoy advertisements on several popular classified advertisement websites commonly used for the solicitation of online prostitution. These same task force members then responded to prospective customers replying to these prostitution advertisements. After brokering an agreement for paid sex acts, these “Johns” were then arrested upon their arrival at a Lake Elsinore area hotel. 

As a result of this enforcement effort, a total of 24 people were arrested on misdemeanor prostitution charges:

• Carlos Hallberg, 33, a resident of Hemet.
• Stuart Jennings, 55, a resident of Warner Springs.
• Timothy Moe, 42, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Angelo Magliarisi, 48, a resident of Warner Springs.
• Vincent Briseno, 26, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Ryan Quintos, 29, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Victor Gomez, 36, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Robert Wonnacott, 51, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Rafael Boyzo, 25, a resident of Riverside.
• Jonathan Billiet, 26, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Jesus Aparicio, 18, a resident of Hemet.
• Hugo Carrillo-Lopez, 37, a resident of Menifee.
• Steven Gulley, 46, a resident of Corona.
• Sean O’Keefe, 57, a resident of San Clemente.
• Aaron Delp, 51, a resident of Hemet.
• Guillermo Jimenez, 27, a resident of Costa Mesa.
• Ryan Ruetz, 37, a resident of Menifee.
• Mario Botello, 28, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Michael Coulson, 52, a resident of Riverside.
• Luis Puga, 52, a resident of Los Angeles.
• Albert Cuevas, 52, a resident of Hemet.
• Isaac Ramirez, 42, a resident of Murrieta.
• Jonathan Reed, 34, a resident of Lake Elsinore.
• Andres Lazaro, 27, a resident of Menifee.

All subjects arrested were booked and released from the Cois M. Byrd Correctional Facility in Murrieta.

Prostitution is not a “victimless” crime. Ninety-five percent of sex trafficking victims are women or children. Those victimized by commercial sexual exploitation frequently have long histories of emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse or trauma in their backgrounds.  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported are likely victims of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking victims are often subjected not only to severe forms of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of their trafficker but are also frequently physically and sexually assaulted by those that solicit them for prostitution.

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force seeks to disrupt and dismantle sex trafficking rings operating within Riverside County and will aggressively identify, pursue, and apprehend those who seek to exploit those who are most vulnerable. Through proactive enforcement operations, RCAHT works to reduce future demand for sex trafficking by identifying and arresting sex buyers.

The RCAHT Task Force extends its sincere appreciation to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station for their support in conducting this joint operation. Anyone with questions about this operation can contact Sergeant Robert Menchaca of the RCAHT Task Force at (951) 955-1700, or via email at: rmenchac@riversidesheriff.org.

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force is asking anyone with additional information to contact RCAHT Task Force Deputy Contreras at (760) 836-1600 or call anonymously at (760) 341-STOP (7867) and reference incident # R20 248 0002.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Carlos Hallberg	Stuart Jennings	Timothy Moe	Angelo Magliarisi	Vincent Briseno
Ryan Quintos	Victor Gomez	Robert Wonnacott	Rafael Boyzo	Jonathan Billiet
Jesus Aparicio	Hugo Carrillo Lopez	Steven Gulley	Sean O'Keefe	Aaron Delp
Guillermo Jimenez	Ryan Ruetz	Mario Botello	Michael Coulson	Luis Puga
Albert Cuevas	Isaac Ramirez	Jonathan Reed	Andres Lazaro