Police have made two arrests after a runaway child apparently tipped them off to a prostitution ring operating in a local hotel room.
According to an incident report provided by the Marietta Police Department, the victim met Cobb County officers at Cumberland Mall on Wednesday to report the operation at the Days Inn Hotel at 2191 Northwest Parkway. She was taken to the Marietta Police Department to be interviewed by police.
The outcome of that interview and an investigation were the arrests of 34-year-old Brandon Miller Myers and Jasmine M. Avery – both of Smyrna – on charges related to pimping and keeping a place of prostitution.
According to warrants obtained by 11Alive News, Myers was charged with both felony and misdemeanor charges of pimping as well as felony possession of a firearm and giving a false name after he was found attempting to prostitute two underage girls.
Avery was also arrested on misdemeanor charges of pimping and keeping a place of prostitution.
The warrants state that the girls being prostituted were 14 and 17 years old and that Myers and Avery used the Text Now app and the BackPage website to offer their illegal services in exchange for money.
Wednesday's arrest was far from the first run-in the two have had with law-enforcement over the years on charges ranging from theft and drug possession to weapon possession charges.
One of the earliest, in 2015, involved Avery when officers came to check her hotel room - at another hotel - after smelling marijuana. Instead of immediately responding, a man inside turned the deadbolt and went to the back of the room. He later opened the door as more officers arrived. Upon obtaining a search warrant, police found marijuana, an AK-47 with magazines, and handgun and $780 in cash among other things.
She had been listed as a bystander or suspect in several incidents since that 2015 encounter. Myers had also had previous arrests including one involving possession of various narcotics.
Almost every incident report provided on the two in Marietta happened at a Cobb County hotel or in the parking lot.
