Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : 32 Men, 3 Women Arrested During Prostitution Sweep

Three women and 32 men were arrested Thursday in an 11-hour prostitution sweep and decoy operation.

The sting was conducted in response to increasing complaints about the illicit business activity occurring along Sierra Highway near Avenue L in Lancaster, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said. It is hoped the arrests will reduce the activity.

Deputies from the Special Investigations Bureau Vice Detail as well as from the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station were involved in the sweep, which began at noon Thursday with male undercover deputies posing as potential customers or “johns.”

Three Lancaster women were arrested for soliciting acts of prostitution. The women, ages 27 to 38, were in front of a hotel in the 42000 block of Sierra Highway.

After the three women were arrested, female undercover deputies then posed as prostitutes in the same area. Over the course of the next several hours, 32 clients were arrested for solicitation of prostitution. All but one of the men, ages 18 to 53, were cited and released.

One of the men was found to have $13,000 worth of outstanding traffic warrants and was booked for solicitation as well as the warrants.

Apparently the location chosen for the sting operation is well known by customers throughout the Antelope Valley and beyond.

They came looking for the services of a prostitute from as far north as Mojave and North Edwards in neighboring Kern County and as far south as Acton. The men were also from Lancaster, Palmdale, Green Valley and Quartz Hill and as far away as Victorville and Las Vegas.