A woman believed to be a human trafficking victim who was missing for seven years was rescued this week after her blood-curdling screams led police to a Michigan motel.
The woman who disappeared in 2017 called her stepparent and told them she was being held against her will at a Michigan State Police Inkster motel. he said Thursday.
Although the exact location was unknown, officers determined that the victim was being held at the Evergreen Motel, and that assumption was confirmed upon arrival at the scene.
“They described it as a wailing, some type of scream-like noise that drew them to a particular area,” said Lt. Mike Shaw of the Michigan State Police. he told WXYZ.
When officers entered the room, they found the woman alone.
The woman, now in her 30s, was physically unharmed, but drugs and a gun were found in the room.
She was taken to the hospital and is receiving counseling, police said. The victims were also reunited with their families.
Police have not released further details about her disappearance, and her identity is being kept secret.
However, a human trafficking detective is involved in a missing persons case.
“We’re going to look at… interviewing her to see if a crime like human trafficking actually occurred, or if it’s a domestic violence situation or something different,” Shaw said. .
“I don’t want to use the word kidnapping as if someone grabbed her and took her to that place. It may have started as a relationship where you are held against your will and trafficked. not.”
A suspect has been identified, but no one is yet in custody.
Inkster is a suburb of Detroit with a population of approximately 25,700.
