LOS ANGELES, CA — A 26-year-old Thousand Oaks man faces up to 14 years in prison after prosecutors charged him with trafficking a 14-year-old boy, forcing him to work long hours sorting clothes for an online resale business and abandoning him on a Los Angeles freeway.
Brandon Holguin was arraigned May 6 on six felony charges including human trafficking, child stealing, and child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death. The case represents what prosecutors describe as a drug-fueled child labor scheme targeting a vulnerable middle schooler. Holguin pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains in custody on $650,000 bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the investigation continues as authorities seek potential additional victims.
The alleged crimes occurred between May 2 and May 5, 2025, after Holguin had targeted the victim at a thrift store several months earlier. Prosecutors say Holguin abducted the teen from near his family’s home in the La Crescenta-Montrose area of northern Los Angeles County, immediately confiscating the boy’s cellphone to prevent contact with his family. Over the next three days, Holguin transported the victim to multiple locations across Los Angeles County, including a motel where he forced the teen to sort and photograph hundreds of used clothing items for online resale. “Human labor traffickers frequently target vulnerable children, gaining their trust before isolating them and profiting from the child’s forced labor,” Hochman said in a statement. “For three terrifying days, the victim’s parents and law enforcement desperately searched for this missing teen, fearing the worst had happened.”
According to prosecutors, Holguin forced the 14-year-old to ingest Adderall, a controlled substance containing amphetamine, to keep him working late into the night. The stimulant made the victim sick, but Holguin allegedly required the boy to continue the labor-intensive cataloging work. Holguin told the minor they needed to dispose of his cellphone so his mother could not track his location, then sold the device along with jewelry the victim’s family had given him as gifts. Using a fake identification, Holguin pawned the boy’s jewelry and pocketed hundreds of dollars from the sales without giving any money to the victim. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department launched an extensive search that included canvassing the community, investigative interviews, wireless emergency alerts, scent dogs, and cooperation from local businesses. A woman identified as Kayleigh Kaplan, 23, was arrested alongside Holguin on May 9, 2025, but prosecutors declined to file charges against her due to insufficient evidence.
Holguin initially planned to traffic the boy to Northern California, extending the forced labor operation hundreds of miles from the victim’s home. When those trafficking plans fell through on May 5, 2025, Holguin abandoned the 14-year-old alone on the side of a Los Angeles freeway in the middle of the night, driving away with the proceeds from selling the victim’s phone and jewelry. The teen managed to walk off the dangerous freeway and sought help at a nearby business, where staff immediately called 911. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the emergency call and reunited the boy with his family that same day, ending the three-day ordeal. The victim’s parents had been working with law enforcement throughout the search, fearing the worst outcome as hours turned into days without contact from their missing child.
The charges against Holguin include child stealing rather than kidnapping because prosecutors determined the evidence did not meet the legal requirements for kidnapping, which typically requires proof of forcible abduction. Beyond human trafficking and child stealing, Holguin faces charges of furnishing a minor with a controlled substance, employing a minor during unauthorized hours, and false personation for a written instrument related to his use of fake identification. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Labor Justice Unit is handling the prosecution, emphasizing the continued prevalence of human exploitation in the region. Court records show Holguin was first arraigned on initial charges and pleaded not guilty, then prosecutors filed additional charges by criminal information. On his most recent court appearance, he again entered not guilty pleas to all amended charges.
Detective Salvador Ponce of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues investigating the case and has requested anyone with information about Holguin to contact him at 818-236-4015. Anonymous tips can be submitted to LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or through their website. Prosecutors expressed concern about potential additional victims given Holguin’s method of targeting vulnerable children and the extended period he spent building trust with the victim before the trafficking occurred. The case highlights what law enforcement describes as common tactics used by labor traffickers who identify isolated children, gain their confidence over time, then exploit them for profit while cutting off communication with family members. “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,” Hochman said.
Holguin’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 3 at the Pasadena Courthouse, where his case will move toward potential trial proceedings. If convicted on all six felony counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison, though actual sentencing would depend on various factors including his criminal history and the specific circumstances of each charge. The case represents one of several recent human trafficking prosecutions in Los Angeles County as authorities increase focus on labor exploitation cases involving minors. The victim, whose identity has not been released due to his age, has been reunited with his family and is no longer in danger, according to prosecutors.
