A Florida motel clerk is being hailed a “local hero” by police after his quick-thinking and sharp eyes helped rescue two young girls in danger on Sunday.
Motel worker Richard Baron was manning the front desk of the Lago Motor Inn just outside Palm Beach, when a man, later identified as Ricardo Flores, 44, checked in around 6 a.m.
About 30 minutes later, Baron became aware of an argument happening in one of the rooms.
He went to check out the situation, knocked on the door and found Flores arguing with a 44-year-old woman, Maria Barrios Calero. She was complaining that Flores hadn’t paid her, Baron told local outlet CBS 12.
Also inside were two young girls sitting in the middle of the bed. Baron spied a condom next to them as the two adults continued to argue about the suspicious transaction. Baron was shocked by the girls’ demeanour and how young they seemed, so he called police and gave officers consent to search the motel.
The two girls and two adults were taken into custody and questioned. During the investigation, police uncovered “a disturbing scenario,” Palm Beach police wrote in a release Tuesday.
“The investigation revealed (a woman) coordinated a ‘date’ between an adult male and the two minor victims,” officials wrote. “The two minor victims were transported to the listed hotel where (the man) paid both minor victims to have sexual intercourse.”
Both Calero and Flores have been charged with human tracking of a minor, with Calero facing three counts and Flores facing two counts.
Police wrote that Baron’s “swift intervention” in the situation “played a pivotal role” in the girls’ rescue.
“In a powerful example of community action, an observant hotel worker’s bravery led to the rescue of two minor females from commercial sex trafficking,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
“We applaud this courageous act and remain committed to safeguarding our community against exploitation.”
The ages of the girls were not released and investigators have not shared how they came to be in Calero’s company.
By law, hospitality workers like Baron must complete annual training on how to spot signs of child sexual exploitation, CBS 12 repots. Baron proudly showed the outlet his certification of completion.
“After so many years in the motel business, they teach you,” Baron said.
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