First Posted: 1/15/2009
LUMBERTON - Police have wrapped up a two-week undercover prostitution operation intended to clean up the East Lumberton neighborhood, Detective Burnis Wilkins said.
Police arrested four women Jan. 19 on prostitution charges and charged four men Friday with soliciting prostitution.
“It was an effort to remove the girls from the streets last weekend and this weekend it was like a reversal … to remove the ‘johns,' the guys who attempted to pick up the girls,” Wilkins said.
Police arrested 19-year-old Farah Emanuel, of 1901 E. Fifth St., and charged her with misdemeanor prostitution and simple possession of marijuana. Emanuel was jailed on $1,000 bail.
Leslie Hunt, 29, of 602 Branch St., and Elizabeth Faye Adams, 33, were arrested and charged with misdemeanor prostitution. Hunt and Adams were jailed on $500 bail.
Melissa McLean, 37, of 1574 Odum Road, was released after police cited her for prostitution and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police used an undercover officer to arrest the women over a four-hour period in the neighborhood surrounding First Street and Carolina Avenue.
“We used two undercover female police officers to pose as prostitutes in an attempt to catch the johns looking for a prostitute,” Wilkins said of Friday night's reverse prostitution sting.
Police arrested 27-year-old Salvador Garcia, of 602 N. Sycamore St., and charged him with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution and driving while impaired. Garcia was jailed on $500 bail.
Arthur Haggins, 43, of 589 Willard Road, Otoniel Morfin, 47, of Bladenboro, and Valente Hidalgo, 19, of 4645 Pine Log Road, were released and cited with soliciting prostitution.
“The undercover officers were just standing in the area where prostitutes were known to hang out … They walked back and forth in a two-block area,” Wilkins said. “A lot folks will say prostitution is a victimless crime because it just affects a man and woman, however I think most areas' citizens would not want this occurring in front of their house. We've received numerous complaints of prostitutes standing in front of their house flagging cars down.”
