Two people were arrested in Oakland this week after authorities say they kidnapped a woman’s infant daughter and coerced the mother into commercial sex, leaving the 18-year-old badly beaten and hospitalized. The seven-month-old child was later found unharmed and reunited with her mother after a police search that started with a hospital report, according to investigators.
How investigators say it unfolded
According to court documents reviewed by The Mercury News, the ordeal began last Friday near 12th Avenue and International Boulevard in East Oakland, where the suspects allegedly confronted the young mother on the street. Prosecutors say the pair assaulted her, took her cell phone and forced her to work as a commercial sex worker, ordering her to bring in at least $100.
The same court filings state that the suspects later demanded $500 to return the infant. Officers say the baby was ultimately located at a residence in Hayward and brought back to her mother. The two suspects were arrested in East Oakland on Sunday following the investigation sparked by the hospital report.
Police response and enforcement
The Oakland Police Department has been running focused enforcement along International Boulevard this year to clamp down on human trafficking and pursue buyers as well as traffickers, as outlined by the Oakland Police Department. The city released notes that those operations have led to dozens of arrests and put an emphasis on connecting trafficking survivors with services and resources instead of leaving them on their own after a bust.
Officials are urging anyone with information tied to this case or related activity to call OPD’s human-trafficking line at (510) 238-2373.
Charges and what’s next
Court records list 24-year-old Messiah Koran Mayfield and 27-year-old Adjah Featherstone as the two suspects booked on Sunday. They are charged with kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking for commercial sex and pandering by encouragement, with bail set at $150,000 each, according to The Mercury News. The outlet reports that both defendants are scheduled to enter pleas next Monday…