California Daycare Workers Face 59 Counts Of Human Trafficking

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Family Charged With Human Trafficking And Labor-Related Crimes

A family-owned daycare in the Bay Area is currently under investigation after police arrested and charged four people with human trafficking and labor-related crimes.

According to reports from KTVU, police arrested Joshua, 42; Noel, 40; Gerlen, 38 and Carlina Gamos, 67 on Friday, after it was discovered that their daycare was being used to exploit Filipino immigrants who had just moved to the United States. The Gerlen family operated six Rainbow Bright daycare facilities spread throughout San Francisco, Daly City, and Pacifica. Four of those facilities were adult residential centers, while the other two provided child care.

Employees reportedly confessed that their bosses forced them to work nearly 24 hours a day and sleep in garages on-site. The employees would allegedly be locked outside if the owners were not home and were further threatened to be turned into U.S. immigration officials if they decided to stop working at the facilities.

“The workers were forced to live on the premises. They were forced to work up to 24 hours a day. One defendant is being charged with three counts of rape against a female employee whom he was trafficking,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

Police seized 14 illegal assault weapons during a raid of one of their daycare center locations. A handgun was also recovered, which was allegedly found under a blanket within easy reach of children.

Becerra said it was the workers who helped bring the case to light. Authorities have already identified hundreds of victims, and still expect to uncover more.

The family is accused of stealing somewhere around $8.5 million in wages and labor. “Rainbow Bright was cheating, not just their workers of their pay, not just their workers of their dignity, but was cheating you and me as taxpayers,” Becerra said.

According to officials, these arrests were part of a year-long investigation by multiple agencies.

More charges are expected in the case as details continue to develop.