Girl rescued, man arrested in prostitution sting

SANTA ROSA, CA (KGO) -- A 15-year-old girl who has been missing since April was rescued last night during a prostitution sting by Santa Rosa Police.

The teenager had been listed as an endangered runaway by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. ABC7 is not releasing her name because she is a minor.

Santa Rosa Police Capt. Hank Schreeder says the FBI notified his investigators that they received reports that the girl's image appeared to be in an Internet escort service advertisement on the myRedBook website.

Santa Rosa police then called Alameda Police, which reported the girl's disappearance in May. After they confirmed that the girl in the ad was the missing juvenile, Santa Rosa police set up a sting at a local motel.

"The investigators got involved in that, pulled the reports from where she was missing in Alameda, confirmed that the ad matched the missing juvenile and from there, we set up the sting operation," Schreeder said.

At about 7:30 p.m., the girl arrived at the motel with two males and another female. They were taken into custody after police decoys solicited the two. The juvenile was booked at the Sonoma County Juvenile Justice Center on an unrelated warrant. Police say they are treating her as a victim and she will not be charged for prostitution.

Child safety advocate Mark Klaas lost his own daughter, Polly, to a predator. He says runaways are easy prey for those who want to exploit them.

"These pimps will use any means to control these kids, they will intimidate them, they coerce them, they will gang rape them, they will threaten them, they will threaten their families," he said.

The adult female, identified as 19-year-old Rochelle Valentine from Hayward, was arrested for prostitution, cited and released.

Thirty-year-old Michael Arevalo, one of the two males, was arrested for pimping. He was booked at the Sonoma County Jail. Arevalo was placed on a parole hold. The second male was released.

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crime, santa rosa, missing person, alameda, north bay news, vic lee

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