Hooker’s Dead Baby Found During Sex Trafficking Bust

November 28, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: News

Authorities in Brooklyn were shocked when the bust of a sex trafficking ring led them to an enslaved hooker’s baby entombed in concrete.

Authorities remove container filled with cement and body of baby

The Sunset Park flophouse was raided by Feds and police late Tuesday, resulting in the arrest of the ringleaders of the sex trafficking business. Upon searching the property, authorities found a 10-gallon Rubbermaid container filled with cement.

The body of a two-month-old baby boy sealed inside the concrete was revealed by x-rays of the container.

The ringleaders appeared in Brooklyn Federal Court Wednesday night. Domingo Salazar, 33, and Norma Mendez, 32, face sex trafficking charges and could face additional counts. The illegal immigrants from Mexico allegedly forced a young woman into prostitution, abused her and barred her from getting medical care for the infant when he fell ill last January.

It is unknown at this time what charges, if any, will be filed in connection with the death of the infant. When the baby died, Salazar and Mendez forced the mom to dispose of the body in the container.

According to a federal affidavit, the couple launched the prostitution ring out of their New York apartment in April 2007. Salazar met the young woman in Mexico, got her pregnant and smuggled her into the United States. The woman gave birth to Salazar’s son in New York in November 2007, according to officials. Salazar forced her to sell sex to “repay” a $2,500 smuggling fee.

Special Agent in Charge James Hayes, Jr., of Immigration and Customs Enforcement described the young woman, “She was in bad shape.” She was driven across the city and made to service up to 25 clients a night.

The woman was frequently abused by Salazar and Mendez who punched her in the stomach, slashing her in the arm, hitting her in the head with a brick and bashing her in the face with a wooden board, according to officials.

The young woman is now recovering after being rescued from the 40th Street home after investigators received a tip about a brothel. The woman’s name has not been released. Other immigrant woman were also forced into prostitution but they have not been located.

“The trafficking of human beings and sex slavery are unconscionable in this day and age and will not be tolerated,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell.

Salazar and Mendez face 15 years to life in prison if convicted.