PHOENIX — Phoenix police recovered two missing juvenile girls who were being trafficked at a Phoenix motel near 27th Avenue and Northern, and a Louisiana woman is now facing four felony child sex trafficking charges in connection with the case.
Mia Coleman, 21, was arrested Aug. 6 at a motel at Encanto Blvd and 27th Ave. in Phoenix after investigators say they found the two juveniles in her company.
She is accused of two counts of child sex trafficking by transporting a minor and two counts of child sex trafficking by providing a means for a minor to engage in prostitution, all class 2 felonies.
According to court documents, the Phoenix Police Department's Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit received a complaint on Aug. 6 that a missing juvenile from California was posting escort ads online in Phoenix.
Undercover detectives contacted the phone number listed in the ad in an attempt to locate the missing juvenile and recover her safely.
An undercover detective arranged a meeting after establishing an act of prostitution through the ad's phone number, according to court records.
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Court records say around 4 p.m., the meeting took place in the parking lot of the motel. Court documents say the missing juvenile arrived with another female, who was later also identified as a juvenile. Both girls exited a car that parked next to the undercover detective's vehicle, according to court documents.
The driver of the Nissan Altima got out and walked into the motel office. The two juveniles told detectives the driver was going to get a room for them, according to court documents.
Phoenix police say they conducted a traffic stop on the car and detained one individual from inside the vehicle. The driver was detained inside the motel office. Both juveniles were recovered safely from the undercover detective's vehicle.
The driver was identified through Louisiana motor vehicle records as Coleman.
During an interview, the missing juvenile reportedly told investigators that Coleman had picked her up in California the day before and drove through the night to reach Phoenix, where the juvenile was taken to 27th Avenue in the early morning hours of Aug. 6 to engage in prostitution, according to court documents.
Investigators also located escort and prostitution ads associated with Coleman. Court documents say the ads listed Phoenix as the location and described "two or more girl specials" within the advertisement.
Arizona's Department of Child Safety was notified, according to court documents.
We have reached out to the Phoenix Police Department for additional information.
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