A man who escaped a stash house in Pharr on Monday night sought help from the local police department for dozens of others left to fend for themselves.
The man fled from a stash house located in the 700 block of East Which Way Drive and called police around 6 p.m., according to a statement shared by the city’s chief communications officer, Michelle Lopez.
A total of 70 people were found inside the mobile home.
Pharr Police Chief Andrew Harvey said men, women and children from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua were left to fend for themselves in a stash house where the average length of stay is between one and three weeks, some longer, until smugglers move them further into the U.S.
Officers contacted the U.S. Border Patrol who took those found inside into federal custody.
“We want our community to feel safe and encourage the community to contact our local police department if they see something out of the ordinary. We want to make sure individuals are taken care of and are not put in harms’ way,” the city statement read.
Pharr police asks the public to report any suspicious activity to their human trafficking liason, Nancy Gonzalez, who works in collaboration with other agencies to connect victims to resources they may need.
Gonzalez can be reached at (956) 402-4828.
“Two signs of a possible stash house are numerous individuals coming and going from a residence, and frequent movement at night,” Harvey stated. “It’s important to note that most houses used as a stash house are rented or abandoned.”
The city’s statement also shared a web link that includes information on human trafficking indicators: www.dhs.gov/bluecampaign.
“Our first and foremost priority is the protection of human life,” Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez stated. “Human trafficking in our communities affects not only the victims, but our community as a whole. Please help us, if you see something, say something.”
