While investigating a missing person case, detectives from the East Palo Alto Police Department contacted the San José Police Department Human Trafficking Task Force regarding a possible human trafficking incident in San José.

The female juvenile survivor was reported missing out of East Palo Alto on Feb. 25 and was found on March 25 by East Palo Alto detectives and San Jose uniformed officers in the trunk of a vehicle at a residence in San José.

Detectives determined that the female juvenile survivor was held against her will, threatened and forced to engage in commercial sex acts in exchange for money by a man identified as Jolaun Canton, 22, of San Jose.

On April 20, San Jose officers conducted an unrelated vehicle enforcement stop on Canton.

The suspect fled on foot during the enforcement stop and after a foot pursuit, Officers were able to apprehend and arrest Canton. A privately-made firearm, commonly referred to as a ghost gun, was also recovered from the scene. Canton was booked into Santa Clara County Jail for evading Officers and for felony possession of a firearm.

Detectives were immediately notified and with the assistance of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, charges were amended to include child sex trafficking.

San José Police Department credited the East Palo Alto Police Department with safely locating the female survivor.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Reyes #4530 of the San José Police Department Special Victims Unit Human Trafficking Task Force at (408) 537-1999 or email [email protected].