Los Angeles County Man Sentenced to Five Years for Labor Trafficking a 14-Year-Old Middle Schooler
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in California announced on November 10 that Brandon Holguin, 27, has been sentenced to five years in state prison. He had pleaded no contest to three felonies: human trafficking for labor, child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.
Prosecutors said Holguin met the victim, then a 14-year-old student at a La Crescenta middle school, at a thrift store, then contacted him frequently for months by text, phone and in person, promising to "help" him. On May 2, 2025, he lured the boy into his car and took his phone, brought him to a motel room, gave him Adderall, and forced him to work all night sorting clothing for Holguin's online second-hand clothing business.
At about 2 a.m. on May 5, 2025, Holguin abandoned the teenager beside a Los Angeles freeway. The boy's family reported him missing, and authorities issued wireless emergency alerts and used scent dogs in an extensive search. Holguin was arrested on May 9, 2025.
The court also ordered Holguin to pay $4,300 in restitution to the victim. District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said the case demonstrates how children can be targeted for labor exploitation and that his office will prosecute such crimes vigorously.
(Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office)
Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：洛杉矶市政厅（GSM 固定图库·城市包）。 / Photo: Los Angeles City Hall (GSM asset library).
