A missing child investigation has ended with a California man facing trafficking charges after he allegedly forced a 14-year-old boy to work long hours for his online resale business for several days before leaving him on the side of a Los Angeles freeway, prosecutors said.
Brandon Holguin, 26, of Thousand Oaks, targeted the teen at a thrift store several months before he disappeared, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The teen, who was not named, was reported missing by family members in May 2025, prosecutors added.
Holguin is accused of transporting the boy from an area near his home in Los Angeles County to multiple locations across the region, between May 2 and May 5, 2025. He took the teen’s cellphone and jewelry and sold the items for hundreds of dollars in cash, according to prosecutors.
Investigators said Holguin then brought the boy to a motel, where he allegedly forced the teen to sort and take pictures of secondhand clothing items for online resale. Holguin is also accused of forcing the boy to ingest Adderall so he’d stay awake and work late into the night.
Authorities said Holguin initially planned to transport the teen to Northern California, but when those plans fell through, investigators allege he abandoned the boy on the side of a freeway in the middle of the night.
The boy was able to get off the freeway and call police. He was recovered by LAPD officers and reunited with his family that same day, prosecutors said.
The teen’s family and local law enforcement had launched a massive search effort.
“The efforts undertaken to find the minor included canvassing the community, investigative interviews, wireless emergency alerts, and the utilization of technology,” the sheriff’s department said. “Additionally, the use of scent dogs and the cooperation of business entities were helpful in the investigative efforts.”
A few days later, on May 9, 2025, Holguin was taken into custody. He was charged with six felony counts, including child stealing, human trafficking, child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death, furnishing a minor a controlled substance, employing a minor during unauthorized hours, and false personation for a written instrument.
“For three terrifying days, the victim’s parents and law enforcement desperately searched for this missing teen, fearing the worst had happened,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
“Human exploitation is unfortunately still widespread in our county in 2026, and our Labor Justice Unit will ensure that anyone who participates in this criminal activity is held accountable. I urge anyone with information about the defendant to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, as this is an ongoing investigation and we are concerned there may be additional victims.”
On November 6, Holguin pleaded not guilty to all charges. He returned to court on May 6, 2026, for another hearing, where he again pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 3 at the Pasadena Courthouse. If convicted, Holguin faces up to 14 years in state prison. He remains in jail on $650,000 bail.
