SAN ANTONIO — NEWS4SA-Three people from west Texas are facing charges in San Antonio after a lengthy investigation involving a 14-year-old runaway who police say is a trafficking victim.
According to an affidavit we received, SAPD bike patrol officers were called out to a hotel in the 400 block of Bonham Street for narcotic law violations October 1, 2018.
Hotel staff told police they were asked to check up on a room rented by a Eric McConal, 35, and kick out anyone who was inside. McConal also allegedly asked hotel staff to secure his work computer, which was in the room at the time.
Police say hotel staff entered the room and saw a rifle, later identified as an AR-15, along with needles and two women. The women have been identified as the 14-year-old victim and Vanessa Nicole Arriaga, 30.
The affidavit says Arriaga and the victim were interviewed, but each gave fake names and were uncooperative with them at the time. Police legally searched the room and found drugs, along with the AR-15, which was found not to be stolen through databases.
While at the scene, Arriaga and the victim said the gun belonged to McConal. The victim told police McConal bragged about being in the military and having a unique privilege to own firearms, according to the affidavit.
Police say Arriaga was let go at the scene with misdemeanor charges and the victim was taken to SAPD Youth Services so they could accurately identify who she was. Investigation revealed her to be a runaway from Odessa, Texas.
After this, police say they interviewed the victim again, believing she may be a human trafficking victim. When asked, the victim allegedly told police "I ain't no prostitute," and McConal and another man, identified as Erek Brown, were "too dumb to be pimps."
Police continued to investigate by going back to the hotel in the 400 block of Bonham, where they were able to track down McConal through hotel records.
According to the affidavit, police spoke with McConal over the phone, who admitted he and a friend used the room over the weekend in question. McConal said he did not have any illegal contact with the victim, but did say she claimed to be 21.
At this time, McConal also admitted to removing, disassembling and disposing of the gun at a dumpster near the 1100 block of South Laredo Street in city limits. Police say they later found McConal to be a convicted felon in the state of Texas.
San Antonio police say they continued the investigation with an interview of the victim a week later on October 8, 2018.
During this interview, the victim said she had met Arriaga at a "trap house" in Odessa. Here, she says she was given a fake identity, new clothes and access to meth. Shortly after, she met Brown, 38.
The victim told police Brown and Arriaga groomed her "to party in San Antonio," where she was brought and introduced to McConal and brought to a hotel near the Riverwalk.
Court records say the victim recalls being injected with drugs by McConal and Brown but does not recall any sexual contact with them. She does, however, say she believes to have acquired an STD while in San Antonio.
Police issued an arrest warrant on January 3, 2019 for McConal for being a felon in possession of a firearm, once arrested, McConal spoke truthfully to police.
The affidavit says McConal admitted to not being honest with police before. He claimed Brown was a pimp, who goes by "RaRa" and said he willingly agreed to lease hotels and vehicles used to harbor and transport Arriaga and the victim for the purpose of prostitution.
McConal also admitted Brown had brough tthe girls so they could party and have sexual encounters, according to the affidavit.
Furthermore, police found social media evidence on Brown's social media profiles. Police say he was soliciting for a "lil Mexican girl" from other traffickers with the intention to bring her to San Antonio for money. These statements were made the day before the victim was brought to San Antonio.
He also allegedly posted, making a reference to a friend who "wanted to bring some ****" because "he got a suite n some paper to blow," according to the affidavit.
Brown and Arriaga were connected to each other through social media.
The mugshot for Brown is for an unrelated charge in the state of Texas earlier this year.
