Prostitution arrests made in Glendale vice unit sting

Two alleged prostitutes and their three bodyguards were arrested late Wednesday night during two separate Glendale vice unit sting operations in the 1400 block of East Colorado Street.

According to Jeremy Ballew, spokesman for Glendale Police, Claudia Bedoya and Andriana Martinez were arrested along with their bodyguards Anthony Mendez, Raul Castaneda and Jorge Contreras between 9:45 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

This was the second time in less than a week that the vice unit had made arrests during sting operations. On Aug. 31, three alleged prostitutes and three body guards were arrested also on East Colorado Street.

The unit, which was formed July 29 of this year, used the Internet to contact advertised services that offered sexual acts at a private meeting, said Sgt. Tom Lorenz, adjutant to the chief of police.

“In their advertisement they would give specific locations they would service,” said Lorenz. “They offered services in Glendale and La Crescenta.”

Undercover officers arranged meetings with the suspects and determined they were offering sex in exchange for money, Ballew said.

The Aug. 31 sting also consisted of two operations. The first was conducted at 12:30 p.m. in the 900 block of E. Colorado and ended in the arrest of Ana Ciaran, 26, and her boyfriend/bodyguard Kevin Timmer, 32, both of Los Angeles. Later that evening, Crystal Black, 22, of Riverside and Amanda Perez, 29, of Long Beach were arrested along with their bodyguards Ken Whitfield, 38, of Alta Loma and Omar Andrino, 28, of Ontario in the 1000 block of E. Colorado.

In a separate incident on Aug. 31, Alfred Isagulyan, 26, of Glendale was arrested after he threatened two women with a gun who would not perform sexual favors. Isagulyan and his friends had hired two women through an escort service. When they informed him that sexual favors were not part of the negotiated fee, he threatened them with a gun.

The vice unit was formed due to an increase in prostitution throughout the Glendale area including the seven women who were arrested in Montrose in 2006 and 2005. Since their formation the unit has made 19 arrest related to prostitution, as well as arrest for lewd acts in public bathrooms and illegal cigarette and liquor sales.

In a prepared statement Chief Randy Adams said. “Over the past year, the police department has increasingly become aware of crimes associated with vice activity. It was necessary to form this unit in order to help eliminate these acts.”