Police have arrested a man at a Roseland hotel on charges that he was forcing a woman to have sex with men for money.
St. Joseph County police Friday said the incident happened Monday when officers responded to an unknown problem at the Baymont Hotel. On the way, a dispatcher told them a female in the lobby was crying and reported that a male would not let her leave.
When officers arrived, they found 31-year-old Kevin Brazier with a 21-year-old female who first said she was fine. But officers saw indicators that she wasn’t, and they separated her from Brazier to question her.
She said she met Brazier on Facebook about a month ago and they talked for a while before they met in person.
She said Brazier picked her up from out of town a week earlier and brought her to South Bend under the pretense that they would be “making money together.” Once here, Brazier allegedly created an ad on a prostitution website and began bringing men to the hotel room. She said he took her phone and would not allow her to leave the room without him.
Police arrested Brazier on charges of criminal confinement, prostitution and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
In a statement, police said, “Human Trafficking is happening in St. Joseph County … we need your help. These crimes often increase during major events such as concerts or sporting events, and we encourage the community to stay alert and report concerns.”
