Two women accused of running a brothel in Palm Desert are now out on bail, but the Riverside County Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation into human trafficking crimes.
The Sheriff's Office said in a recent press release from Sgt. Travis Mountz that the arrests resulted from a human trafficking investigation and a search warrant executed on Wednesday, June 21, at a spa business located in the City of Palm Desert.
On that same day, in conjunction with a human trafficking investigation, the Palm Desert Business District Team, Special Enforcement Team and Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force came together to execute a search warrant at a spa business located in the 74000 block of Alessandro Drive, in the City of Palm Desert, Mountz reported.
"During the execution of the search warrant, Lijuan Ruan, a 41-year-old from Los Angeles, and Xiuxia Bai, a 55-year-old from El Monte, were arrested for operating a brothel," Mountz said in the release.
Although both women were booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, Palm Desert Patch reported on Thursday that they posted $2,500 bail bonds for their release. The suspects now face an initial court appearance, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 29.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is looking for information from community members that could further its investigation into illegal human trafficking.
"This investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Deputy Avila at the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station at 760-836-1600," Mountz said in the release.
For those who have been victims of human trafficking, there are resources ready to help as well.
"If you, or anyone you know, has been a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at (888) 373-7888 or contact your local law-enforcement agency," Mountz said.