Human Trafficking: Hidden in Suburbia | Weekend Read

Each weekend, Patch offers up some stories worth a read.

Human Trafficking: Hidden in Suburbia

A teenage girl walking down the street in nothing but a bra and panties raised alarm bells for residents of suburban Lutz, Fla. The 13-year-old was a human trafficking victim from Maryland, brought to Florida.

Neighbors who spotted the girl wandering in nothing but her underwear on a fall day in 2010 were right to do so, officials say.

“The red flag was the neighbors,” Pacso County Sheriff’s Detective D. Boyer told Patch.

It was tips, again, that led to the arrest earlier this month of a man accused of using his home as a base of operations for human trafficking and prostitution, with at least eight victims identified. >>> Read more.

Virginia Summer Forecast: Heating Up

There are still a few more days of "May showers" in the forecast, but the story this summer is going to be temperatures that are above average in Virginia. >>> Read more.

Political Thriller to Film in Virginia

New political thriller Public Affairs will soon begin filming in Norfolk. The political thriller centers on a young campaign aide who sleeps with the wife of a presidential candidate — a mistake that threatens his career and endangers his life, according to a recent report by Variety. >>> Read more.

Amazing Videos

Canada's Snowbirds Zoom Over DC

You've heard over the Blue Angels, but you may not have heard of its equivalent to the north, the Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds. If you were in the vicinity of the National Mall and the Pentagon around lunchtime today, you got to see them. >>> Watch

Rap Video: Teachers Get Students Pumped for SOL

The teachers at one Alexandria elementary school are getting down and funky to get their students pumped up about taking the SOLs (Standards of Learning tests). >>> Watch

Tops

DC, Arlington Near Top of Public Parks Rankings

It's no secret that Washington, D.C. region has some of the best public parks in the nation, so the only surprise in a recent ranking of the top 100 cities in terms of their public parks was that the District wasn't No. 1. >>> Read more.

This DC Restaurant Named a Best Spot in the United States for Al Fresco Dining

As the mild spring weather folds into the heat of summer, there's nothing like sitting out in the open air dining al fresco -- and one D.C. restaurant has been named by OpenTable.com as one of the best places in the nation to do just that. >>> Read more.

Tips

• Red Cross Warns Virginia Residents as Hurricane Season Looms
• Tips to Avoid Door-to-Door Scams
• Must-Know Black Bear Safety Tips
• Here's What's Happening to Your Metro Commute Soon [VIDEO]

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