Miami-Dade police have made a significant development in a human trafficking case, announcing a second arrest. According to authorities, the arrest involved a mental health counselor and occurred at a hotel in Kendall, Florida.
Jason Mojica, 46, faced formal arrest on three felony charges on Tuesday. The arrest took place while he was already in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, albeit on an unrelated case.
The arrest report identified him as the boyfriend of psychologist Maria Ximena Duarte, 45, of North Miami.
Duarte, who was taken into custody on Sunday, allegedly gained the trust of the 15-year-old victim by meeting her at the pool of the Aloft Miami Dadeland hotel. He then persuaded her to accompany him back to his room. Mojica, on the other hand, is accused of sexually assaulting the teenager.
Duarte initially encountered the girl at the pool of the Aloft Miami Dadeland hotel, situated at 7600 N. Kendall Drive, when she was out walking her dog last Tuesday, as stated in the arrest report.
According to the police, Duarte managed to gain the girl’s trust by portraying herself as a psychologist.
According to the report, the victim developed a sense of trust with Duarte and opened up about personal struggles. They connected over shared life experiences. In the course of their conversation, Duarte offered the victim a marijuana cigarette to smoke and even purchased alcoholic beverages from the hotel bar, though the victim declined.
Duarte instructed the girl to return to her hotel room later that night, according to the police.
According to the report, the victim expressed her unwillingness to comply with Duarte’s request. However, despite her refusal, Duarte persisted in insisting.
According to the report, Mojica, whom the girl knew as “Jason,” eventually arrived.
Duarte was about to exit the room, intending to leave the girl alone with Mojica, when she expressed her discomfort about being alone with him.
The victim reportedly overheard Duarte telling her boyfriend, “Can you believe she’s only 15?”
The victim promptly reported the incident to the authorities, who then took action and arrested Duarte.
“I’m a psychologist, and I hold a PhD. Losing my license and livelihood would be devastating,” Duarte expressed in court on Monday. “I’m desperate for help. I want to emphasize that I have never had any physical contact with that girl, let alone kissed her.”
The police stated that they would use investigative techniques to identify Mojica, who is currently homeless. Additionally, the victim would be shown a photo of Mojica to confirm his identity as the suspect.
As of Wednesday, he is currently being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Similarly, Duarte is also being held at TGK and is being held without bond.
The authorities have not yet disclosed whether they have identified “Pablo” or if he will be facing any charges.