Two Arrested in Riverside Human Trafficking Case Involving Juvenile Victims
RIVERSIDE, CA — “In mid-May 2025, the Riverside Police Department’s Vice Unit began an investigation after two female juveniles ran away from a local group home in Riverside. Detectives learned the girls may have been victims of human trafficking and had engaged in prostitution in the Los Angeles area. Both teens were later located and safely returned to their group home.
Over the following months, Vice Detectives continued their investigation and identified two adult suspects believed to have been exploiting the teen victims through prostitution. On Thursday, July 29th, with assistance from the Gang Intelligence Unit and METRO Team, detectives served a search warrant at the Los Angeles residence of 28-year-old Michael Jay Johnson. Johnson, a known gang member on parole for pimping a minor, was safely taken into custody. During the search, detectives also recovered a loaded handgun.
Johnson was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on charges of human trafficking of a minor, pimping a minor under the age of 16, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, possession of a firearm by a felon, and violation of his parole. He is being held on $200,000 bail.
The second suspect, 23-year-old Bonnie Edney Fingerson, was arrested in Santa Clara County on July 26th and later booked into a Riverside County detention facility on charges of human trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor into prostitution, pimping a minor under the age of 16, and aiding a prostitute. She is being held on $85,000 bail.
“The reality is that when teens run away, they face immediate and serious risks,” said Lieutenant Matt Lackey of the Riverside Police Department’s Special Investigations Bureau. “Within hours, they can become targets for predators, fall victim to human trafficking, or be subjected to other violent crimes. We urge parents, guardians, and community members to talk with their teens about these dangers, report runaway youth without delay, and work closely with law enforcement to help ensure their safe return.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is urged to contact the Riverside Police Department’s Vice Unit at RPDVice@RiversideCA.gov or (951) 353‑7614. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Riverside Police Department’s “Atlas 1” mobile app by using the secure “Send a Message” feature. The app is available for download on both APPLE and ANDROID devices.”
