Human trafficking survivors share their stories as new campaign to fight it launches in Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — “Human trafficking is a slavery, there’s no other way to describe it,” said Cynthia Giumarra, CityServe Director of The Exploited.
Kern County is making it clear there’s zero tolerance for human trafficking as city, county, and federal law enforcement came together to unveil the latest campaign to fight this problem.
Angelica Zuniga was only 12 when she was first trafficked by a family member.
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“Until I was 29 years old is when I realized that I was a victim,” Zuniga said. “I came to a point in my life when I was emotionally, physically, spiritually, just exhausted. I was on Union Avenue one night and I got into a really bad situation and ended up just throwing my hands up and asking for help.”
Survivors plead for the community to report human trafficking. They, like Ofelia Flores, are now becoming the advocates they wished they had when they were being trafficked.
“The grooming I believe started when I was 15, and then I turned 16 and that’s when she addicted me to heroin, and I became addicted and then she started selling me to men,” Flores said. “She was my sister.”
Law enforcement says they are fighting this relentlessly.
“The police department had about 59 cases, or investigated about 59 cases of human trafficking last year,” Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry said. “We were able to make arrests in about 36 of those investigations.”
“I got married and I have five kids and 13 grandkids. So, you can have a beautiful life. There’s hope. There’s hope,” Flores said.
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