A Thousand Oaks man accused of exploiting a 14-year-old boy for grueling online resale work, then dumping him on the side of a Los Angeles freeway, pleaded not guilty in Pasadena on Wednesday, prosecutors said.
The defendant, 26-year-old Brandon Holguin, is charged with labor trafficking after prosecutors say he forced the teen to sort and photograph hundreds of clothing items for online resale, took the boy's phone, sold jewelry gifted by the teen's family, and ultimately left him along a freeway in the middle of the night. The teen was allegedly given Adderall to stay awake, became sick while working late into the night, and was later reunited with his family after walking away from the freeway.
Charges and arraignment
Holguin faces six felony counts, including child stealing, human trafficking, child abuse and furnishing a minor a controlled substance, and entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. He is being held on $650,000 bail and could face up to 14 years in state prison if convicted as charged, the office said.
Prosecutors' account of the scheme
Prosecutors say Holguin first encountered the boy at a thrift store months earlier, then took and sold the teen's cell phone so his family could not track him and used a fake ID to pawn the youngster's jewelry for hundreds of dollars, according to MyNewsLA. The District Attorney's Office alleges Holguin drove the teen to a motel, where the boy was put to work sorting and photographing clothing for resale online and was told to take Adderall to stay awake. The controlled substance reportedly made the child ill.
Recovery and arrest timeline
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Holguin allegedly abandoned the teen on a Los Angeles freeway in the middle of the night on May 5, 2025. "Human labor traffickers frequently target vulnerable children, gaining their trust before isolating them and profiting from the child’s forced labor," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
The boy walked to a nearby location where staff called 911, and Los Angeles police reunited him with his family later that day, the office said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested Holguin on May 9, 2025.
What's next in court
The case is being handled by Deputy-in-Charge Ryann Gerber Jorban and Deputy District Attorney Alice Kurs of the DA’s Consumer Protection Division Labor Justice Unit, and a pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 3 in Department C of the Pasadena Courthouse, according to MyNewsLA. Prosecutors said the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim or who has information about Holguin is asked to contact Detective Salvador Ponce of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at 818-236-4015, call LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or reach the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 for confidential help. For tips and anonymous reporting, see LA Regional Crime Stoppers or the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
