Phoenix Drop House Holds 11 Child Hostages (KPHO-AZ)

Phoenix Drop House Holds 11 Child Hostages
Tip From Mother Of 3 Victims Leads To Human Smuggling Find
Sarah Buduson, CBS 5 News
POSTED: 7:22 pm MST December 2, 2010
UPDATED: 12:09 pm MST December 3, 2010

PHOENIX -- Phoenix police rescued 11 children, ranging in age from 2 to 15, who were being held hostage at a Phoenix drop house Thursday afternoon.

Sgt. Steven Martos of Phoenix police said the FBI received a tip about the drop house at 6441 S. 7th Ave. from the mother of three of the victims.

He said the mother, who lives in El Salvador, claimed her daughters had been kidnapped.

The woman said the human smugglers were threatening to rape the girls, who are 12, 14, and 15, if she did not send money, according to Martos.

Martos said officers located the woman's daughters and eight other children when they arrived at the home.

It was unknown if they were sexually assaulted or if any of the other children were hurt.

Martos said the children "seemed OK."

He said officers discovered the woman's daughters were not kidnapped and that the girls and other children were all smuggled into the United States without their parents.

Police arrested two men and one woman in connection with the drop house.

Martos said one of the men is an illegal immigrant working as a guard at the house to pay off his debt to the smugglers.