Area man arrested on kidnapping charges in ‘potential human trafficking investigation’
A Middletown man has been arrested on kidnapping and sexual assault charges in connection to a “potential human trafficking investigation.”
Isauro Garcia Cruz, 43, was arrested for kidnapping, unlawful sexual conduct with a juvenile gross sexual imposition, and interference with custody, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said they began investigating Cruz after reports of a relationship between him and a 15-year-old girl.
The investigation led detectives to Bedford County, Virginia, where they were assisted by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI in finding Cruz and the teenager.
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Cruz was also charged with delinquency of a child in Bedford County.
Deputies said the 15-year-old girl was unaccompanied from Honduras and was placed in a sponsor’s home in Middletown by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The girl’s sponsor was Cruz’s girlfriend.
The sheriff’s office said they are investigating if the girl was a victim of human trafficking.
Cruz is in the custody of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and is awaiting extradition.
We will continue to follow this story.
