December 23, 2021
OAKLAND — A Hayward resident was charged this week with human trafficking and other felonies after he allegedly showed up to a hotel with a girl who had run away from home to meet an undercover cop who had responded to an online prostitution ad featuring the teen.
Michael Arriola, 29, was charged with human trafficking of a minor, pimping, and pandering. He remains in Santa Rita Jail on a no-bail hold. His next court date has been set for Jan. 3, when he is expected to enter a plea.
According to police, the investigation started in Dec. 15, when police discovered online prostitution ads indicating that a runaway 16-year-old girl from Northern California was being trafficked in the Hayward area. An undercover Hayward police detective responded to one of the ads, agreed on a $200 fee, and arranged to meet the girl at a hotel near the intersection of Carlos Bee Boulevard and Mission Boulevard.
Arriola was arrested Dec. 16 after he allegedly showed up with the girl, who was in possession of the same cellphone that had been used to arrange the meeting, according to police. In a subsequent interview, the girl reported she’d been with Arriola for the past month, that he’d forcibly trafficked her, and that he kept the proceeds.
“He took the pictures of her that were online on her escort ads and he told her what websites to post on to meet sex buyers,” Det. Gabrielle Wright wrote in court records. “It was later discovered the photos of the victim were taken inside Arriola’s studio where the victim was staying. Arriola told her how much to charge sex buyers and took her to known prostitution areas.”
The charging records allege that Arriola has a 2017 pimping conviction in San Diego, and a 2018 pandering conviction in Los Angeles.