Girl, 12, Rescued From Human Trafficking In Vallejo; Man, 19, In Custody

VALLEJO (CBS13) – A 19-year-old man is in custody after a 12-year-old girl was rescued from being forced into human trafficking in Vallejo on Wednesday, authorities said.

According to the Vallejo Police Department, the two were located by officers shortly after noon along Fairgrounds Drive. The child reportedly made a call for help.

"I applaud the juvenile survivor for having the courage and fortitude to call for help," Vallejo Chief of Police Shawny Williams said. "All the credit for stopping this human trafficker belongs to her. Human trafficking is an evil and egregious assault against humanity and the human dignity of its victims. Our community has a moral duty to hold perpetrators of these heinous crimes accountable, defeat human trafficking through advocacy and help survivors rebuild their lives."

Fidel Rodriguez-Navarrete, 19, of Vallejo, was booked into the Justice Center Detention Facility in Fairfield and faces charges of human trafficking of a minor, sex with a minor, assault with a deadly weapon and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, jail records show. His bail is listed at $176,000.

"Furthermore, this despicable case of child sex trafficking and sexual assault against a minor reemphasizes the importance of victim advocacy, support and prevention in the City of Vallejo," Chief Williams said. "The fact that a child victim has to be subjected to sitting on a cold police bench following a traumatic incident is unacceptable."