From The Tribune staff reports
TUSCALOOSA — A Michigan man was arrested for human trafficking, and the Tuscaloosa Police Department (TPD) thanks hotel employees for finding a missing Chicago teen on Thursday, May 19.
“A missing teenager from Chicago was found in Tuscaloosa Thursday thanks to a group of vigilant hotel employees who contacted police,” the TPD Facebook page states.
According to the TPD, Geremy Lemel Glass, 33, of Michigan, was arrested on charges of human trafficking and second-degree possession of marijuana.
TPD received a call at approximately 12:40 p.m. from a local hotel requesting a welfare check of a guest. TPD states during a check-in, front desk staff member Desiree Garrette noticed suspicious details she recognized as possible indicators of sex trafficking.
Desiree signaled coworker Meredith Griffin, and they relayed their observations to supervisors Brittany Turk and Tammy Williams.
“Together, the hotel staff took steps to verify the guest’s identity and check on her welfare before calling 911,” TPD states. “TPD patrol officers arrived on the scene along with investigators from the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force (WAHTTF).”
When officers responded to the call, the guest tried to flee but was apprehended nearby. The WAHTTF investigators were able to identify the hotel guest as a 17-year-old recently reported missing from Chicago.
Glass is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail with no bond set on the trafficking charge and bond set at $6,000 for the marijuana charge.
The Tuscaloosa Police Department would like to thank the hotel staff for their diligence and the lengths they went to to help recover this endangered juvenile.
“The hotel staff took thoughtful action to check on the welfare of their guest without regard to their own safety,” WAHTTF commander Capt. Phil Simpson said.
The police department is not releasing the name or location of the hotel due to the ongoing investigation. Additional arrests are expected in this case.
The story will be updated when more information is available.