One-Night, Undercover Sting in Santa Cruz Nets Alleged Local 'Johns', 'Visiting' Prostitutes, Heroin & Meth

A one-night, joint-police-agency undercover sting in Santa Cruz resulted in the arrest of five out-of-town females -- including a minor -- and three "Johns" from Santa Cruz for suspected prostitution activities, according to the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team’s Narcotics Task Force.

The SCCACT-NTF, in conjunction with the SCCACT-Gang Task Force (GTF) and Santa Cruz Police Department on March 21 conducted the "throughout the Night" operation to combat prostitution-related concerns in the City of Santa Cruz. 

SCCACT deployed undercover agents and police officers that posed as “prostitutes” and “Johns.”

One of the females arrested was in reported possession of a methamphetamine pipe, police said, and after booking into the county jail, she also gave false identifying information.

Her true information listed her as a juvenile from Stockton, and SCCACT officers said they removed her from the county lock-up and re-booked her into Juvenile Hall, with additional charges of providing false information to officers. 

Three male “Johns” were arrested after allegedly soliciting an undercover police officer for sex during the operation, police said. 

One man, 41 year-old Anthony Horne of Santa Cruz, was suspected of also being in possession of 0.6 grams of heroin and 0.3 grams of methamphetamine, and was additionally booked for those violations, police said.

Those arrested did not appear to be associates, said authorities, confirming the suspected trend over the past few years of prostitution in the Santa Cruz area, police said.   

Region-wide law enforcement reports encountering criminal enterprises, and in some areas criminal street gangs, that operate sophisticated prostitution and human trafficking rings, authorities said.  

Often these organizations or gangs rotate their prostitution operations from town to town throughout the state to avoid local law enforcement scrutiny.

 Unfortunately, police added, these underground organizations profit from victimizing teens and young adults while ensnaring them in a high-risk lifestyle that exposes them to further victimization or engagement in other criminal activities.

The suspects arrested in the Santa Cruz operation, according to SCCACT-NTF:

• 41 year-old Horne of Santa Cruz – arrested for suspicion of Loitering to Solicit Prostitution, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Heroin;
• 54 year-old Robert Hammond of Santa Cruz – arrested for suspicion of Loitering to Solicit Prostitution; 
• 23-year-old Mario Linares-Aparicio (no photo available) of Santa Cruz – arrested for suspicion of Loitering to Solicit Prostitution; 
• 23 year-old Christye Nance of Vallejo – arrested for suspicion of Loitering for Prostitution; 
• 21 year-old Antoinette Garcia-Torres of San Leandro - arrested for suspicion of Loitering for Prostitution; 
• 17 year-old juvenile (name withheld - no photo released) of Stockton - arrested for suspicion of Loitering for Prostitution, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Providing False Information to a Peace Officer;
• 22 year-old Lindsey Shandrika of Stockton - arrested for suspicion of Loitering for Prostitution  
• 22 year-old Maryann Davis of Sacramento - arrested for suspicion of Loitering for Prostitution.