Police arrested 17 people during a two-day sting operation targeting prostitution activity at several Miami Springs hotels, officials said.
The operation began after authorities received several anonymous Crime Stopper tips as well as local complaints about prostitution activity in several hotels along Northwest 36th Street, Miami Springs Police said Wednesday.
From August 12 to August 13, Miami Springs Police detectives, officers assigned to the crime suppression team, and investigators from the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the sting operation.
There were a total of 17 arrests with charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer, prostitution, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a concealed firearm, and narcotics violations, police said.
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In one of the operations police said 26-year-old Jonathan Castillo dropped off two women at one of the hotels. When officers tried to pull him over, he backed his car into a police vehicle, which had a K-9 inside, officials said.
"The officers exited the vehicle, however in one the vehicles we have a K-9 who is considered an officer," Miami Springs Police spokesperson Janice Simon said. "The subject decided to put his car in reverse and ram the vehicle occupied by the police canine unit, he was arrested with that additional charge."
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Three firearms were also recovered, and the investigation is still ongoing, police said.
