California Man Accused Of Trafficking 14-year-old Boy To Run His Thrifted Clothes Business

A missing kid investigation has ended pinch a California man facing trafficking charges after he allegedly forced a 14-year-old boy to activity agelong hours for his online resale business for respective days earlier leaving him connected nan broadside of a Los Angeles freeway, prosecutors said.

Brandon Holguin, 26, of Thousand Oaks, targeted nan teen astatine a thrift shop respective months earlier he disappeared, according to nan Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The teen, who was not named, was reported missing by family members successful May 2025, prosecutors added.

Holguin is accused of transporting nan boy from an area adjacent his location successful Los Angeles County to aggregate locations crossed nan region, betwixt May 2 and May 5, 2025. He took nan teen’s cellphone and jewelry and sold nan items for hundreds of dollars successful cash, according to prosecutors.

Investigators said Holguin past brought nan boy to a motel, wherever he allegedly forced nan teen to benignant and return pictures of secondhand clothing items for online resale. Holguin is besides accused of forcing nan boy to ingest Adderall truthful he’d enactment awake and activity precocious into nan night.

Authorities said Holguin initially planned to carrier nan teen to Northern California, but erstwhile those plans fell through, investigators allege he abandoned nan boy connected nan broadside of a freeway successful nan mediate of nan night.

The boy was capable to get disconnected nan freeway and telephone police. He was recovered by LAPD officers and reunited pinch his family that aforesaid day, prosecutors said.

The teen’s family and section rule enforcement had launched a monolithic hunt effort.

“The efforts undertaken to find nan insignificant included canvassing nan community, investigative interviews, wireless emergency alerts, and nan utilization of technology,” nan sheriff’s section said. “Additionally, nan usage of scent dogs and nan practice of business entities were adjuvant successful nan investigative efforts.”

A fewer days later, connected May 9, 2025, Holguin was taken into custody. He was charged pinch six felony counts, including kid stealing, quality trafficking, kid maltreatment nether circumstances apt to origin awesome bodily wounded aliases death, furnishing a insignificant a controlled substance, employing a insignificant during unauthorized hours, and mendacious personation for a written instrument.

“For 3 terrifying days, nan victim’s parents and rule enforcement desperately searched for this missing teen, fearing nan worst had happened,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

“Human exploitation is unluckily still wide successful our region successful 2026, and our Labor Justice Unit will guarantee that anyone who participates successful this criminal activity is held accountable. I impulse anyone pinch accusation astir nan suspect to interaction nan Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, arsenic this is an ongoing investigation and we are concerned location whitethorn beryllium further victims.”

On November 6, Holguin pleaded not blameworthy to each charges. He returned to tribunal connected May 6, 2026, for different hearing, wherever he again pleaded not blameworthy to each charges.

A pretrial proceeding is scheduled for June 3 astatine nan Pasadena Courthouse. If convicted, Holguin faces up to 14 years successful authorities prison. He remains successful jailhouse connected $650,000 bail.