Four young women were rescued from a suspected human trafficker in Colton last week.

The girls, ranging in age from 17 to 22, were found by members of the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force on Friday around 6 a.m. on the 400 block of N. Sperry Drive.

The task force located the women after they were contacted by their counterparts in San Diego County regarding a 17-year-old girl who was reported missing out of the county earlier this month and was believed to have been a victim of human trafficking.

The San Bernardino task force tracked the girl to Colton, where she was rescued alongside three adult women who are also believed to be victims of trafficking.

All four have been put in contact with victim resources and medical care, and the teen has been reunited with her family.

As part of their investigation, authorities identified Devon Stewart as the person responsible for trafficking the four women and exploiting them in the “commercialized sex industry.” During his arrest, authorities found him in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol ghost gun and several ecstasy pills.

The 33-year-old Lakewood man was booked into the Central Detention Center where he faces charges for human trafficking, possession of narcotics and possession of a firearm.  

Anyone with information about this or other human trafficking incidents is urged to contact the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force at 909-387-8400. You can also submit an anonymous tip online at wetip.com. 

The San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task force is a multi-agency coalition comprised of investigators from across the county, as well as the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Corrections and the Office of Homeland Security.