South San Francisco police officers arrested two people on Sunday morning in South San Francisco after they allegedly kidnapped and trafficked a 22-year-old woman, according to a press release by the San Francisco Police Department.
At 6 a.m. on Sunday, officers responded to a welfare check call reporting a young woman had been physically assaulted by a person with a gun at the 300 block of South Airport Boulevard.
Police arrested 33-year-old Clifford Lawrence, of San Francisco, and 18-year-old Ayda Elshawa when they arrived on the scene. The two suspects were initially inside their vehicle and refused to comply with officers.
Once in custody, officers discovered in their investigation that the two kidnapped the young woman at gunpoint in Oakland on Sunday. The victim was driven to South San Francisco where she was physically assaulted by Lawrence and Elshawa. They then trafficked her in San Francisco and Oakland, according to the report.
Once she had returned to South San Francisco, the victim was held captive in a hotel, but she was able to escape and call for help, the report said.
The two suspects are currently being held at the San Mateo County Jail.
The victim was reunited with her family and offered support by the San Mateo County Human Trafficking Initiative.
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