The pursuit of justice rarely offers moments of unfiltered clarity. Still, when it does, the narrative is striking in its directness, two Texas men suspected of the severe crime of human trafficking have been arrested in Ohio. The arrests follow a joint effort that spanned state lines, showcasing the grim reality of modern-day slavery. According to an announcement by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, the two suspects were apprehended with the assistance of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force after traveling to central Ohio with four victims, of whom one was a minor.
Last Thursday, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, following up on leads from the FBI’s Houston office and the Texas Department of Public Safety, learned that the juvenile victim was believed to be in Columbus. Law enforcement acted quickly, with the Columbus Division of Police’s PACT Unit also contributing to the swift response. Timarrea Granderson, 27, of Cyprus, Texas, was taken into custody and found with one of the victims at the time of his arrest.
The situation intensified later that evening. Larry Hill, 26, of Houston, locked himself in a Columbus residence on West Kanawha Avenue. The standoff concluded with Hill's arrest, where the SWAT team of the Columbus Police Division, along with the Sharon Township Police Department, successfully engaged the situation, recovering two additional trafficking victims within the residence. The fourth and final victim was subsequently rescued elsewhere.
As a result of these coordinated efforts, both Granderson and Hill are now facing significant charges in Texas, "including trafficking of a person and compelling prostitution of a minor," as per the announcement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office. They are awaiting extradition back to Texas, where the next chapter of this legal ordeal will unfold. Throughout this process, the victims, all hailing from Texas, have been offered services by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force to aid their recovery.
The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force operates under the direction of the Columbus Division of Police, embodying a coalition of agencies that include the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and several other law enforcement and support organizations. It's an arm of Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, whose jurisdiction spans 25 Ohio counties, serving just over half the state's population. Ohioans are encouraged to report suspected human trafficking through various channels, including calling (844) END-OHHT, texting "ENDOHHT" to 847411, using the END OHHT app, or submitting information online.
