5 Women Arrested, Accused of Prostitution in Pomona

POMONA, CA — Five women were arrested on suspicion of prostitution during a law enforcement operation along the city's East Holt corridor, authorities said Saturday.

Sgt. Brian Hagerty of the Pomona Police Department said in a news release that their Major Crime Task Force utilized both undercover and uniformed officers in the Friday operation, which targeted an area of the city notorious for prostitution.

According to police, the five women arrested in the operation were:

• Alexis LaFaye Greer, 26, of Las Vegas;
• Kiara Rodriguez Matos, 20, of Hawthorne;
• Chimyra Nicole Alford, 20, of Moreno Valley;
• Saquelua Magdelene Carter, 24, Moreno Valley; and
• Whitnee Anne Florence, 29, of Pomona.

With the operation, police have taken a "proactive approach" to thwart prostitution and human trafficking in Pomona, Hagerty said, adding that more are slated to occur.

"These types of operations serve as an opportunity for victims of human trafficking to speak with officers about the dangers of this lifestyle," he said, "and provide advocates the opportunity to relocate them to safe locations."

Anyone with information is advised to contact police at (909) 620-2085 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— City News Service, photo via Shutterstock