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An Oakland woman is set to appear in court this week to face charges in a teen sex trafficking investigation that began at Berkeley High School.
Trinice Suwanabart, 23, was arrested in November after police linked her to the case earlier this year.
According to court papers, Berkeley High School Resource Officer Ethell Wilson began looking into the case in January after a 15-year-old girl was reported missing after running away.
In September, Berkeley Police Capt. Dave Frankel described the case to City Council members during the mid-year crime report presentation. Frankel said Wilson had received a tip from a school safety officer that the teenager might have been a victim of human trafficking.
Wilson contacted the victim’s family, which led to a closer look at her cell phone activity, Frankel said. That led police to a Motel 6 near the Oakland airport where officers, with the help of the department’s Special Enforcement Unit, set up a surveillance operation in February to try to find the girl.
Frankel said an undercover officer set up a “date” to try to find the victim. Officers identified two motel rooms being used by people Frankel described as traffickers, and ultimately contacted four people in connection with the investigation.(...)
Read the rest of Woman charged in Berkeley teen sex trafficking case (416 words)
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Post tags: Alameda County district attorney's office, Berkeley crime, Berkeley Police, Dave Frankel, Jennifer Coats, Sex trafficking Berkeley, Teresa Drenick, Trinice Suwanabart