An undocumented immigrant was sentenced to life in prison this week following a terrible human trafficking case that unfolded in Lake County last summer.
According to the Eustis Police Department, Jose Gomez, 29, was convicted on various charges stemming from a July 15, 2024, incident in which Eustis officers responded to a 911 hang-up call at 231 North Prescott Street. According to the Eustis Police Department, officers arrived to discover a juvenile girl sprinting toward them, claiming she had just been sexually abused by Gomez.
Police later determined the girl was a victim of human trafficking and had been sexually exploited. She told investigators that unidentified acquaintances drove her to Lee’s Laundromat on Orange Avenue, after which Gomez contacted her. He allegedly paid her $100 before taking her to his apartment.
Once at his apartment, the girl reported experiencing violent restraint before managing to escape. Officers discovered Gomez trapped inside the property, where a K-9 unit apprehended him after a standoff. A search warrant executed on the apartment turned up additional evidence linking Gomez to the exploitation.
Authorities said Gomez had been in Eustis for years after overstaying a short work visa. His trial ended with a guilty conviction on all counts, and the court sentenced him to life in prison.