Police and federal agents raided locations in Dallas, Fort Worth and Lancaster on Tuesday as part of a major human trafficking investigation, authorities said.
Police and federal agents raided homes in Dallas, Fort Worth and Lancaster on Tuesday as part of a major human trafficking investigation, authorities said.
One man and two women were accused of operating a prostitution operation.
Police said they encountered 11 women when they raided a home in Fort Worth and four others in Dallas. They will be treated as victims and offered counseling, police said.
The investigation started with an anonymous tip, police said.
People in North Fort Worth's Woodland Springs neighborhood were startled early Tuesday morning when a police SWAT team descended on a house in the 12400 block of Yellow Wood Drive.
"We were awakened to a very large boom and an order to come out with your hands up," said one neighbor who asked not to be identified.
Another neighbor snapped a photo of five young women sitting on the curb, their hands cuffed behind them.
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Neighbors said they have talked among themselves about what was happening with the young women living in the house – and driving fancy cars. Visitors would come and go, they said.
Five trash and recycle bins were in the driveway in a neighborhood where most families just have one of each.
"It just seemed like a lot of traffic, cars, fancy cars, stuff like that," said Jimmy Jones, who lives up the street.
Fancy cars, like a Bentley, a Cadillac, and more.
"I saw one car was a Rolls Royce," said neighbor Ken Hill. "It had gold hubcap-type wheels on it."
Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for Texas Child Protective Services, said a 2-year-old boy and a 9-month-old boy who were living in the house were taken into protective custody.
"I'm just glad it's over," Jones said.
Police identified those arrested as Tremont Blakemore, 39, Donna Gonzales, 38, and Peaches Hurtado, 26. They are charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution and engaging in organized criminal activity.
The other locations raided were in the 4500 block of Marcell Avenue in Dallas and the 1700 block of Overlook Drive in Lancaster.
