A tip from a local school led Brookhaven police to arrest two people Thursday in a case that investigators say involves a juvenile victim, alleged sexual abuse and suspected trafficking. Both suspects are adults who were booked into the DeKalb County Jail, and police say they are keeping a tight lid on details to protect the child and avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.
The Brookhaven Police Department identified the suspects as 35-year-old Olga Patricia Mejia Zavala and 45-year-old Andres Hernandez. According to WSB‑TV, Hernandez faces charges of trafficking a person for labor servitude, rape, aggravated child molestation, cruelty to children, enticing a child for indecent purposes and aggravated sodomy. Mejia Zavala is charged with trafficking, rape, aggravated child molestation, cruelty to children in the first degree and enticing a child.
Charges and possible penalties
Under Georgia law, trafficking for labor or sexual servitude is a felony generally punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison and fines. When the victim is under 18 or has a developmental disability, the statute allows sentences from 25 years up to life. Aggravated child molestation can also carry life imprisonment or long mandatory terms in many cases. Those punishments are written into the state code and form the legal framework prosecutors will rely on as they move the case forward, as outlined in O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 and related materials on Justia and O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4 on Justia.
How this fits metro Atlanta's pattern
Metro Atlanta has seen a series of trafficking investigations in recent years, with multi-jurisdiction teams and the state attorney general’s human trafficking unit pursuing both sellers and buyers across county lines. The Georgia Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has pointed to a string of convictions and victim rescues in the region, underscoring how complex these cases can be and how often they cross local borders. The National Human Trafficking Hotline, run by Polaris, continues to log tips and trends that can generate leads for law enforcement and connect victims with support services.
Case status
Brookhaven police say they will not share further information while the investigation is active, and both suspects remain in the DeKalb County Jail. Prosecutors are expected to review the evidence and decide whether to seek indictments or additional charges. For now, the department is urging that no more information about the juvenile victim or case specifics be released, according to WSB‑TV.
