ELK GROVE (CBS 8) - An observant Uber driver helped save a 16-year-old passenger from a sex trafficking ring in Sacramento.
Kevin Avila had been driving for Uber for only a month when he picked up three female passengers.
According to CBS13 in Sacramento, Avila was suspicious of the younger passenger's provocative clothing and the conversation the three females were having inside his car.
During the ride, Avila happened to overhear the conversation between the passengers that related to sexual solicitation.
“She was saying, ‘When we get there you want to hug them do you want to say do you have any weapons that’s the first thing you ask.'” Avila tells CBS13.
Avila says the directions were specific about collecting money.
“‘Then you want to pat them down make sure they don’t have any weapons and ask them do you have my donation do you have my donation you want to do that first before you start touching up on them or anything,'” he said.
Avila dropped the women off to their destination and then immediately called the police.
Police arrived at the location and arrested Destiny Pettway, 25, and Maria Westley, 31, on pimping and pandering charges. A 20-year-old man identified as Disney Vang was arrested for sex with a minor.
Avila is being praised for listening to a conversation, understanding something wasn't right and doing something about it.
Elk Grove police spokesman Chris Trim told CBS13, "The Uber driver did something spectacular, you listen to their conversation. He listened in depth and in fact even know what room they were going to and that helped our officers."
