A Phoenix man is facing a slate of felony charges after a 14-year-old girl told police she had been trafficked out of a motel room in one of the Valley’s most well-known prostitution corridors.
Maricopa County prosecutors announced Tuesday that Dennis Mitchell Jr. has been indicted on counts including child sex trafficking, aggravated assault, pandering and receiving the earnings of a prostitute. His arrest took place in November inside a motel along “The Blade,” a stretch of 27th Avenue between Indian School Road and Northern Avenue long associated with human trafficking, drug activity and violent crime.
Investigators say the teenage victim reported she had been staying with Mitchell at the motel, where she was forced into prostitution and physically assaulted. Police later rescued both the teen and an adult woman who also reported being victimized while living under Mitchell’s control.
The indictment comes as local leaders continue efforts to curb trafficking and restore safety in the area. Grand Canyon University, which has poured more than $170 million into revitalization projects near its campus, recently opened a public safety center designed to give officers and security teams real-time technology to better monitor crime hotspots.
For broader context on trafficking prevention strategies in Arizona, the attorney general’s office maintains resources and training initiatives for frontline workers — part of an ongoing push to intervene earlier and protect vulnerable youth.
