COLUMBUS, OH — A missing juvenile from Texas led to the arrest of two men on human trafficking charges in Columbus, Ohio, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
On Thursday, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force was alerted by the FBI’s Houston office about a juvenile victim of human trafficking who was reported missing in Columbus. Law enforcement acted swiftly, and Thursday night, 27-year-old Timarrea Granderson from Cypress, Texas, was located and arrested by Columbus police. During his arrest, one human trafficking victim was rescued.
Later that evening, 26-year-old Larry Hill from Houston was apprehended after barricading himself inside a home in the Sharon Heights area of north Columbus. A Columbus SWAT team was deployed, and during Hill’s arrest, two victims were found, including the missing juvenile. A fourth victim was rescued from another location.
The four victims, all from Texas, are now receiving support and services from the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force. Granderson and Hill have been charged with trafficking of a person and compelling prostitution of a minor. Both remain in Ohio and will eventually be extradited back to Texas.
