A Chaparral woman has been indicted on two human trafficking charges after court documents allege she repeatedly took two children to an El Paso man for sexual abuse over nearly a decade, receiving hundreds of dollars each time it happened. Landy Victoria Carrejo, 37, faces two counts of human trafficking involving children younger than 13, both first-degree felonies, according to court records.
A grand jury indicted Carrejo on the two charges on September 16, according to KVIA, which reported she was arrested on two counts of criminal solicitation to commit human trafficking. Court documents said the abuse took place between January 2, 2016, and December 31, 2024, spanning most of both children's early lives. The indictment alleges Carrejo recruited, solicited, enticed, transported or obtained the two children intending or knowing they would engage in commercial sexual activity, according to KFOX.
A Child's Account Begins at Age Four
According to the arrest affidavit, one child told investigators Carrejo first took her to a man in downtown El Paso when she was about four years old. The child said the man owned a restaurant and an apartment complex in El Paso, and that most of the abuse took place at a location called El Rancho near the Fox Plaza shopping center, per the affidavit cited by KFOX.
The affidavit states the man asked Carrejo how much she wanted in exchange for letting him touch the child, and that he threatened to kill Carrejo at one point. The child said Carrejo beat her when she refused a sexual encounter with the man. Court documents reviewed by KVIA said the abuse started when the child was four or five years old and lasted through eighth grade, happening three to four times a month, with the man allegedly last abusing her when she was eight.
Money, Photos and a Second Child
Court documents said the man paid Carrejo $400 to $500 after each encounter, and that Carrejo in turn paid the child $50 to $100, according to the affidavit cited by KFOX. The documents also allege Carrejo sometimes sent the man naked photos of the child, as well as photos of her dressed for a party or special occasion.
The affidavit further alleges Carrejo took the child's younger sister to the same man, and that the older child suspected her sister would also be abused. Documents state Carrejo took both children to the man's home under the premise of cleaning, and the younger child alleged the man touched her inappropriately. The man allegedly offered the younger child money or dolls to engage in sexual activity, and the abuse of the younger victim happened on about 10 different occasions, investigators wrote. Carrejo reportedly continued taking the younger child to the man's home, though the affidavit also says she stopped the man from abusing the younger child on one occasion after walking in.
Conflicting Reports on Carrejo's Custody
Carrejo denied the allegations when she was arrested by Otero County law enforcement, according to KTSM. Reports on her current custody status conflict: KTSM reported she remained in jail awaiting further progress in her criminal case, while the outlet separately noted that jail records showed she had been released from custody on a personal recognizance bond. Telemundo 48 El Paso emphasized that the allegations are part of court documents and have not been proven at trial.
New Mexico's Department of Justice has outlined broader resources for trafficking concerns, advising that people in imminent danger call 911 because local authorities are trained to identify human trafficking and refer victims to service providers, and that reports involving a child under 18 be directed to Statewide Central Intake with the Children, Youth and Families Department, according to the agency's published guidance. State legislative material has described human trafficking broadly as involving force, fraud or coercion used to compel someone into labor, services or commercial sexual activity, though that material is only a partial summary of the statute.
No court disposition, trial date or additional charges tied to the man described in the documents have been verified. The case remains pending as the allegations against Carrejo continue to move through the court system.
