Human Trafficking Victim Found Walking On I-295 In Lawrence: Cops

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — A 17-year-old girl says she was forced into prostitution, being taken from hotel to hotel against her will and forced to engage in sexual acts with multiple men. When she finally escaped, she was found by state police officers walking along I-295 in Lawrence Township. She told them her story, and two Trenton residents were arrested soon after.

Ashley Gardener, 29, and Breon Mickens, 26, both of Trenton, have been charged with human trafficking, New Jersey State Police announced on Thursday, Jan. 18. A week earlier, at about 11 p.m. on Jan. 11, troopers from Hamilton Station were dispatched to investigate a report of a young woman walking along Interstate 295 in Lawrence Township.

In New Jersey, interstates are considered limited access highways, which means bicyclists and pedestrians are not allowed to use them. If encountered by a state trooper, they will be transported to a safe location.

It was at this point she told officers of her alleged ordeal, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Lawrence Police Department, and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families responded to Hamilton Station to assist.

The alleged victim claims Gardener and Mickens took her to hotels against her will to engage in prostitution. Once there, she said Gardener forced her to engage in sexual activity with multiple men and collected the money paid by the clients.

Gardener is also accused of placing sexually suggestive ads on Backpage.com featuring photos of herself and the victim. The ads offered adult entertainment and listed Gardener’s phone number for clients to call, police said.

Shortly after speaking with the alleged victim, members of the New Jersey State Police Trafficking Central Unit and Troop “C” Criminal Investigations Office located and arrested Gardener at a township hotel.
On Sunday, January 14, the New Jersey State Police Trafficking Central Unit, Fugitive Unit, Electronic Surveillance Unit, and the United States Marshal’s Service New Jersey/New York Regional Fugitive Task Force-Trenton Division, located and arrested Mickens in Trenton.

Gardener was charged with human trafficking, human trafficking of a minor, and promoting prostitution. Mickens was charged with human trafficking and possession of marijuana, which police said was seized during his arrest. Both were lodged at Mercer County Jail pending a detention hearing.

“The allegations in this case starkly illustrate how human traffickers will isolate young victims from any support network and force them into a cruel life of sexual slavery,” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. “Fortunately, this victim was able to escape, and a concerned motorist called police to report that the victim was walking alone in the dark on Interstate 295. I urge the public to alert law enforcement whenever they see children or teens in suspicious circumstances, so we can investigate, rescue victims of human trafficking, and bring traffickers to justice.”

“Trafficking anyone, man or woman, boy or girl, is a violation of basic human rights—it is appalling and indecent, and it will not be tolerated in New Jersey,” Colonel Patrick Callahan, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said. “I commend the State Police Trafficking Central Unit, Troop ‘C’ CIO, Fugitive Unit, and our partners for swiftly locating and arresting those responsible, and also the person who called 9-1-1, because public assistance is an essential component of our mission.”

“We’ll continue to work with the State Police and our other law enforcement partners to rescue victims from the shadows where these crimes of human trafficking occur and aggressively prosecute those responsible,” Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice said.

The investigation was led by the New Jersey State Police Trafficking Central Unit. The New Jersey State Police Cyber Crimes and Crime Scene Units also assisted. The defendants will be prosecuted by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice in the Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police Trafficking Central Unit at 732-431-3610.

The attached images of Ashley Gardener and Breon Mickens were provided by New Jersey State Police.