Human Trafficking Investigation Ends With Shooting, Arrests

ANAHEIM, CA — A man in his 30s was shot Monday by Anaheim police as they were investigating a scheme to ransom undocumented immigrants from Mexico, police said.

A family member of a human trafficking victim alerted authorities of the situation late Sunday night, Anaheim police Sgt. Shane Carringer said.

Suspects smuggled undocumented immigrants into the country, then held them for ransom in an apartment building on Syracuse Street north of Lincoln Avenue, Carringer said.

Police put the apartment building under surveillance. It was while officers watched that a man "approached." A confrontation ensued, resulting in the shooting about 6 a.m. in the 100 block of North Syracuse Street, according to Carringer.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Carringer said.

Whether the man police shot had anything to do with the smuggling scheme remains under investigation.

Following the shooting, police located the original human trafficking victim and ten others inside the apartment, Carringer said. Whether they were all held against their will is under investigation, he added.

Several suspects are now in custody, Carringer said, including the alleged ringleader.

Not all of the undocumented immigrants came from Mexico at the same time, he said.

This is a developing report. City News Service contributed to this report.