In Franklin County, Pennsylvania, a woman narrowly escaped from two men who allegedly intended to traffic her for sex. According to court documents recently released, she managed to free herself by stabbing one of her captors during a journey on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The Pennsylvania State Police reported that Jose Antonio Hernandez Guittierez, aged 30, and his cousin, Edgar Jesus Espinoza Gamboa, aged 27, both residents of Denver, Colorado, are currently facing several charges, including human trafficking, making terroristic threats, and simple assault.
In a separate incident, Anna Kepner’s stepsibling reportedly shared a cabin before her demise aboard a Carnival cruise, as stated by her attorney.
According to State Police, a trooper noticed a Chevy Silverado driving erratically as it exited the Blue Mountain Tunnel. The vehicle suddenly stopped in the median at the tunnel crossover in Lurgan Township, Franklin County, around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Following the abrupt halt, a woman emerged from the vehicle, sprinting across the turnpike. Meanwhile, another man, later identified as Espinoza Gamboa, was seen bleeding from a neck wound. Hernandez Guittierez remained at the location after being instructed to do so by the troopers.
The woman reported to State Police that she was “kidnapped, threatened to be raped, drugged, and being trafficked to Canada,” according to court documents.
Espinoza Gamboa was eventually flown from the scene to Penn State Holy Spirit Trauma Unit, where it was found that he had a stab wound on the back of his neck near his spine.
While speaking with Hernandez Guittierez at the scene, State Police said he provided fake identification documents for the woman. Troopers were able to process the scene, finding two cell phones, one being used as a GPS and another covered in blood, inside the truck, State Police said.
The woman told State Police her boyfriend arranged for Hernandez Guittierez and Espinoza Gamboa to pick her up and take her to Canada. Troopers said she told them she began suspecting she was being drugged because she started feeling sick. She said when she would wake up, they would blow something dust-like on her to make her fall back asleep, the criminal complaint states.
The two men also allegedly threatened her that she was going to be forced to have sex with other people for money, they were going to sell her, and that they planned to drug her, sexually assault her, and kill her, court documents show. They also used stun guns to threaten her, and she stabbed Espinoza Gamboa to escape.
The duo was questioned, and troopers said their stories were not consistent.
The stun gun, zip ties, binoculars, and new boots were found inside the truck, while a bag of clothing and a mattress pad were found in the truck’s bed, the complaint shows. A ledger with a notepad that had info about alleged human trafficking was found in a fanny pack with about $1000 in cash.
Hernandez Guittierez was placed in Franklin County Jail with his bail denied after being arraigned and awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 2. Espinoza Gamboa is awaiting arraignment, court records show.
