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SFPD honors Sergeant Kim Lopez after human-trafficking rescue of 16-year-old
Summary
Sergeant Kim Lopez and the Special Victims Unit were recognized for their roles in locating and rescuing a 16-year-old trafficking victim; the DA charged the suspect with multiple felonies, the department said.
The Police Commission on July 16 honored Sergeant Kim (Kimberly) Lopez of the Special Victims Unit for her role in a multiagency investigation that led to the rescue of a 16-year-old human-trafficking victim.
Acting Lieutenant Dan Silver described the case to the commission: the 16-year-old walked away from a residential placement home in the Central Valley on Feb. 28 and was picked up by a 31-year-old suspect she had met online. The suspect allegedly trafficked the victim locally and across the Pacific Northwest and on March 6 violently assaulted the minor, demanding $10,000 from the victim's family, Silver said. The victim recorded video of the attack and family members shared it with Stockton Police and San Joaquin County authorities.
San Joaquin authorities trailed the victim's phone to an address in the Lakeview area; Stockton and San Joaquin PDU provided the initial intelligence. At about 3:15 p.m. on March 6, SFPD sergeants, officers and tactical teams entered a multi-unit building, located the suspect and the victim and detained the suspect. Silver credited Sergeant Lopez with swiftly responding to a call from San Joaquin authorities, notifying relevant field units and coordinating the tactical response. The victim provided statements describing repeated abuse, according to the acting lieutenant.
Sergeant Lopez addressed the commission and thanked her teammates and family. Chief Yap and several commissioners praised the team and highlighted the collaborative work with Stockton and San Joaquin County law enforcement. Lt. Silver said the district attorney charged the suspect with multiple felony counts; he attributed that in part to the length and detail of Sergeant Lopez's investigative report.
Why it matters: The recognition highlights SFPD's cross-jurisdictional cooperation on human-trafficking cases and the role of the Special Victims Unit in working with victims in sensitive cases.
Additional context: Commission members and the chief noted the difficulty of trafficking and child-abuse prosecutions and commended the investigative collaboration that led to the rescue and the charging decision.
