A 16-year-old girl identified as Crystal Allen has been rescued by a postal worker, Ivan Crisostomo, when she escaped her trafficker’s vehicle on June 8.
“I hear this crying, this really bad crying. So, I went around behind this large, bush-like thing, large tree and saw this young lady,” he told KCRA 3, “The girl kept saying, ‘They are coming to get me. They are coming to get me.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry, nobody is going to get you. I’m here for you.’”
Allen was reportedly lured from her group home, by a friend, into the hands of the captors. KCRA 3 reports, “She was held captive for three months. During that time, she was drugged, beaten and sexually assaulted.” Allen had been unable to escape, stating that she was often tied to chairs and that there were guard dogs on the premises and people who prevented her (and others) from leaving.
When she was found by Crisostomo, Allen was “in a panic,” according to the postal worker. He eventually persuaded Allen to call her mother and tell her she was alright:
“She was frantic. I didn’t know what was going on,” Allen’s mother said, “I couldn’t even understand her she was so upset and that’s when I told her she had to reach out to someone for safety and she gave the phone to Ivan and he instantly kicked into gear and told me that he would save my daughter.”
Crisostomo stayed with Allen until the authorities and paramedics arrived, comforting and protecting her, according to KCRA 3. “I’m super thankful and happy that he did that for me,” Allen said. “If you are in that situation, just keep fighting.”
