MESA -- Phoenix police say they broke up a child prostitution ring in Mesa Thursday morning.

A Phoenix police officer noticed a young girl walking near 27th Avenue and McDowell Road at about 1 a.m. He stopped to talk to her and she told him that she was a runaway from California and that she had a pimp who was in the area.

Tranter said police made a traffic stop and arrested the pimp, Deon Richerson, near 27th Avenue and McDowell Road.

Additional information led them to the Homestead Studio Suites Hotel near Dobson Road and U.S. 60 in Mesa.

Tranter said officers served search warrants for two rooms and found three additional females, aged 15, 17 and 18.

Tranter said the females were forced into prostitution. He said three of the runaways were from California and one was from Oregon.

Tranter said Richerson had been in California, went to Las Vegas then came to Phoenix on New Year's Day and set up shop at the Mesa hotel with the intention of having child prostitution in the Phoenix area.

Police believe they came to the Valley because of the Fiesta Bowl and upcoming Super Bowl.