Police bust alleged prostitution ring

An alleged pimp and two women accused of being prostitutes were charged in Hightstown.

By: Scott Morgan
   HIGHTSTOWN — A multiagency sting led to the arrest of a township man and two women in connection with an alleged mobile prostitution ring Wednesday.
   Borough Detective Benjamin Miller said authorities from Hightstown, East Windsor and the Mercer County Special Investigations Unit, acting on an anonymous tip, set up the sting to catch those believed to be operating a $250,000 a year, on-call prostitution ring throughout central New Jersey. Detective Miller said the ring is believed to have operated as far as New Brunswick and Metuchen.
   Charged in the sting was 35-year-old Jose Pintado-Mejia of East Windsor, who police say was the point man, or "pimp," in the ring. According to Detective Miller, Mr. Mejia was contacted by undercover officers from the county SIU posing as clients. The detective said Mr. Mejia then set up a meeting between the officers and two women outside his car.
   "An offer was made, then we arrested those involved," Detective Miller said.
   The detective explained that the ring kept mobile by receiving calls and delivering women to clients. There was no single, central location out of which the ring operated.
   Detective Miller said also that his department’s original information suggested the ring could involve girls as young as 15, though police did not find evidence of juvenile involvement.
   The two women charged in the sting were 45-year-old Luz Delgado of Queens, N.Y., and a 20-year-old Orange woman whose identity police withheld because she will assist in the investigation.
   Police did not divulge where the arrests occurred, saying it could compromise the safety of their confidential source.
   All three suspects were charged with promoting prostitution, loitering for the purposes of prostitution, maintaining a public nuisance, possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. The women were, in addition, charged with failure to present identification.
   Mr. Mejia was granted $2,500 bail and was released after posting the money. The women each were granted $5,000 bail, although they did not post it. All were expected to be arraigned in the borough Thursday afternoon.
   After arraignment, Detective Miller said, police expected to transport the women to the Mercer County Corrections Center in Titusville.