When this Uber driver picked up his first passengers of the night, he had no idea that his life would change forever.
Ordinary Guy
Keith Avila was a married father of one. He lived in Sacramento with his wife and young daughter. Keith had only been doing Uber for less than a month; he was still getting the hang of things…
Changed Forever
Avila logged into Uber that night not knowing he would soon be made an accessory to an unspeakable crime—or that, of the three people who entered his vehicle, one was in imminent danger.
Day Job
Keith Avila spent his days as a photographer, specializing in quinceañeras, which is the celebration of a young Latina woman’s 15th birthday. By night, Avila made some extra money as an Uber driver.
New to Uber
Avila had only been driving with the rideshare app for about a month. So far, he’d met several interesting characters, but had yet to interact with anyone who behaved suspiciously…until now.
First Ride
Avila’s first ride of the night took him all the way out to Oak Park. He pulled up outside a house, tapped the “arrive” button, and waited for the passengers to come outside.
Three’s Company
Three women exited the house around 6:30 P.M. Two of them appeared to be in their twenties or thirties, but the third looked like she couldn’t have been older than twelve…
Odd Behavior
Despite the girl’s obvious youth, she was clad in a revealing dress, clearly meant to make her look older. Avila worked with girls her age all the time for his job photographing quinceañeras.
Strange Request
As soon as the three of them had settled in the car, the girl asked Avila if she could smoke a blunt. He raised his eyebrows, shocked. It was a bold inquiry, especially from someone so young.
Close, But No Cigar
“You can’t smoke in the car,” he told her. The girl frowned and gathered up her things. She told him she wanted to drop it back inside and to wait in the car for a moment.
Unhappy
The girl jumped out of Avila’s car to return the blunt back to the house. One of the older women started to yell, “You gotta get your priorities straight! We gotta make this money!”
Something Was Wrong
Avila had a nasty feeling that something was clearly wrong. Still, he needed to do his job. Avila began driving them toward a Holiday Inn in Elk Grove, where he had photographed a quinceañera just a few weeks prior…
Unsettling Aura
The four of them drove in relative silence for a while. Then, halfway to the hotel, one of the women leaned over to talk to the girl, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
Bizarre Instructions
“Okay, here’s what you do,” she said quietly. “Before we get inside, you want to hug the guy. The first thing you ask is, ‘Do you have any weapons?'” Avila felt his stomach sink.
Suspicious
“When you’re hugging them, pat them down. Check for weapons,” she continued. Avila listened as the woman instructed the girl to ask for her “donation” and make sure she got the cash before entering the hotel room.
Playing It Cool
“When I heard that, it was so obvious,” Avila said later. Still, he knew he had to stay calm and avoid drawing attention to himself.
Arriving at the Hotel
Avila kept driving to the Holiday Inn, growing more and more concerned as they approached. He pulled up to the hotel and stopped outside the entrance.
Worst Nightmare
Avila said he was “acting happy, like I don’t give a damn,” so as not to look suspicious. Before stepping out of the car, one of the woman answered a phone call that confirmed Avila’s worst fears.
Room 110
The woman said, “Do you have any law enforcement or police agencies with you? Okay, we’ll be there. Room 110.” She repeated the room number, and Avila made a mental note of it.
No Amateur
“I just thought, ‘Oh, wow, this girl’s done this before. She’s not a stranger to this,” Avila said. He looked into the young girl’s eyes before she stepped out of his vehicle. “She had this face of innocence and looked insecure,” he continued.
Shocking Realization
The older women, who by this point Avila had realized were female pimps, stepped out of the car. The girl hesitated for a few moments before following them inside. She shot Avila one last nervous glance.
Hard Decision
Avila struggled to make a decision. He knew the young girl’s life was in danger, but he was worried about getting in the middle of what could potentially be an even more precarious situation.
Making a Choice
Avila couldn’t rest knowing a girl who was the same age as the girls he photographed at their quinceañeras was being lured into a hotel room mere feet away from where his car was idling.
Calling 911
Avila picked up the phone and dialed the police. He informed the operator that he believed he had just witnessed a child being sex trafficked.
They Do Not Play
Avila sat and waited in his vehicle for the police to arrive. Surprisingly, in only a few short minutes, he heard lights and sirens approaching. “Police arrived fast,” he said. “They don’t play. They do not play. Not when you’re doing child sex trafficking.”
Arrests
Police found a suspected John in the room with the girl named Disney Vang. He was arrested along with the female pimps…
Taken Into Custody
Destiny Pettway, 25, and Maria Westley, 31, had allegedly arranged for the victim to meet an adult man. They were taken into custody on a number of incriminating charges such as pimping and pandering.
Good Samaritan
Police are beyond thankful that Avila saw something and said something. “He could’ve said nothing and went on his way, collected his fare,” said Elk Grove officer Chris Trim. In fact, Avila’s good deed didn’t go unnoticed…
Viral Video
Avila even recorded a reaction to the incident which he posted on Facebook Live shortly after giving a statement to authorities. The video, which has garnered almost 400,000 views, was titled, “I just caught a group Child Sex Trafficking ring!!! No Joke!!!”
Their Fates
Officer Trim noted that Pettway and Westley, the female pimps, were in custody on $500,000 bonds. Vang was bailed out of Sacramento County jail. Trim said it was the first time he’d ever seen a trafficking bust like that. The victim was soon reunited with her family. She had been missing for months…
Stepping In
Uber, the company for which Avila drove, reached out to say it was thankful to hear of a driver partner notifying the police in a timely manner to help save the teenage girl. They announced a partnership with ECPAT-USA, a nonprofit working to end child sex trafficking. Uber pledged to provide materials to drivers that point out physical and behavioral indicators that a child is being sex trafficked.