A suspected victim of human trafficking, who had been missing for nearly seven years, was found this week, after police were called to a Michigan motel over reports of her screams.
Michigan State Police said that the woman, who disappeared in 2017, called her stepmother, telling her that she was being held against her will at a motel in Inkster, Michigan.
SECOND DISTRICT ACTIVITY: On 02/26, Second District SIS detectives received a tip about a missing person. The caller said that her stepdaughter, who had been missing since 2017, contacted her and was currently being held against her will at a motel in Inkster MI. 1/ pic.twitter.com/kWLXKFZrgu
— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) February 29, 2024
Troopers didn’t have an exact location, but determined the victim was being held at the Evergreen Motel, which was confirmed when they arrived on the property.
“A girl was heard screaming and crying from a motel room. Troopers made forcible entry into the room and recovered her,” the state police said on X.
“They described it as like a crying, kind of screaming type of noise that lured them to that specific area,” Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw told WXYZ.
Officers forced their way inside the room, where they found the woman alone. She was physically unharmed, but the room contained drugs and a gun.
She was taken to the hospital and is undergoing counseling, police say. She has also been reunited with her family.
Police did not offer further details about her disappearance and are keeping her identity confidential.
The Michigan State police confirmed that a suspect has been identified, but no arrests have yet been made. The investigation is ongoing to “determine if human trafficking was involved.”
“We’ll kind of look at what’s next, right … interview her if a crime did take place such as human trafficking or is it a domestic violence situation or is it different,” Shaw said. “I don’t want to use the word kidnapping like somebody grabbed her and took her to that place. It may have started out as a relationship that turns into being held against your will and being trafficked.”
