Mountain View, CALIF. — A man has been arrested in connection with sex and labor trafficking of unsuspecting families and minors, and Mountain View detectives are looking to identify and assist additional victims connected to this case.
On Oct. 4, Mountain View detectives as well as patrol officers responded to a home on the 1900 block of Latham Street to follow up on a report that a man had attempted to sexually assault a teenage girl a few months prior. Police had been to the home several times over the recent weeks, once for a call of a man with a gun threatening to shoot a woman and a young boy and a second time for a welfare check on a possible victim of child abuse.
When officers arrived at the apartment, they immediately noticed that the home appeared to have multiple people living in close quarters. In speaking with two people who were at the apartment, they learned that several families – a total of 12 people — lived in the two-bedroom apartment. They also learned that the man who rented the apartment, 33-year-old Mountain View resident Carlos Garza – also known by the names Gabino Galvez and Mynor Tobar – had allegedly helped numerous people illegally come into the United States from Guatemala. But, once families made it safely to Mountain View, Garza would intimidate, threaten, and scare them into obedience, creating a culture of fear for anyone who lived with him or was brought here by him.
At that point, the case was referred to our Crimes Against Persons Unit to further investigate what was now classified as a human trafficking case.
Detectives also learned that Garza’s sister, Evelia De Maria Galvez, had not only helped her brother in bringing people from Guatemala to the United States, she had also spoken with a teenage victim and had attempted to dissuade her from speaking out about Garza. According to that victim, Galvez threatened that there would be consequences if the victim revealed anything to authorities about Garza or his trafficking efforts.
While speaking with that victim, detectives learned she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Garza and by other men Garza brought to the house, who would pay Garza to sleep with the victim.
Detectives believe there are multiple victims who were brought to the United States by Garza under false pretenses. Detectives believe multiple people have come to the United States under the belief that they will be safe and will be able to start a new life, but that Garza has instead brought them here for the purposes of sex trafficking and labor trafficking. We believe that this is the case for both adults and minors who Garza has helped to cross the border.
Garza was arrested at his place of work in Mountain View on Thursday, Dec. 20, without incident. His sister, Galvez, was arrested later that evening.
Garza was arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of human trafficking.
Galvez was arrested on suspicion of accessory to a crime and intimidation of a victim.
Detectives are asking that anyone who may be a victim of either Garza or Galvez to come forward so that we can contact them and assist them. We want to ensure not only that every victim is safe, but that they are receiving victim services, outreach services and any additional assistance they may need.
