Navajo County deputy saves child from human trafficking; suspect arrested

HOLBROOK, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- A sheriff’s deputy helped save a child in danger of human trafficking in northern Arizona earlier this month.

On Sept. 8, a Navajo County deputy pulled over 35-year-old Julio Ramirez-Felipe on I-40 near Winslow. Authorities say Ramirez-Felipe, a California resident, was traveling with a young boy unrelated to him. During the stop, the deputy noticed signs of human trafficking and saw the child was in danger. Ramirez-Felipe was arrested and booked into Navajo County jail for allegedly assisting in a human smuggling organization.

“I would like to commend my deputy for his exemplary investigative work on this traffic stop. Because of this simple traffic stop and furtherance of his investigation, an innocent child was rescued from danger. Human trafficking is a real issue that affects too many children. Thank you to the men and women who combat these issues every day,” said Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.