Los Angeles police this week say they broke up a sex trafficking ring after witnessing girls being paraded before potential customers in the parking lot of a South L.A. motel.

Really.

The LAPD announced that 45-year-old Juan Chavez and 25-year-old Maritza Marroquin of L.A. were both arrested and charged with pimping and pandering:

Chavez made a court appearance earlier this month, the LAPD says, but Marroquin posted bail and is “outstanding.”

Here's what happened, according to the department:

After receiving a tip, detectives started a two-month investigation into a ring that allegedly trafficked in international girls (we're going to guess here that they were Mexican) and held women against their will.

The investigation, according to the LAPD's stated allegations, led cops to the …

… 100 block of West 82nd Street in Los Angeles. The investigators observed several young women being transported to a hotel in south Los Angeles. The females exited their captor's car and were paraded for customers inside the parking lot at 7400 South Vermont Avenue. Investigators were able to detain all of the individuals involved and arrest two persons in particular for Pimping and Pandering.


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It's not over yet. Police say a federal investigation related to the case is “ongoing.”

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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