3 Arrested in Connection to Human Trafficking Investigation in Permian Basin

ODESSA, TX -- Odessa police arrested three men in connection to a human trafficking investigation on Friday.

Irving Holcomb, 32, Ashton Battles, 21, and Rene Gonzalez, 29, were arrested by the Odessa Police Department at an Odessa motel on Friday, Jan. 18.

Police were dispatched to a Southeast Odessa motel just before 11:00 p.m. on Friday in reference to a welfare check possibly involving human trafficking of a 14-year-old girl. When officers arrived, they made contact with all three males and a 14-year-old girl inside a motel room.

Dispatch advised officers that the girl had been reported as a runaway.

Officers also saw multiple firearms in the hotel room which led to a search warrant being obtained. Police found Gonzalez to be intoxicated and Battles to be in possession of methamphetamine.

The investigation also led to the finding of two handguns and a Winchester .22-caliber rifle with the serial number scratched off.

Through their investigation, police determined that Holcomb had sexually assaulted the girl.

Holcomb now faces two first degree felony charges of sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, endangering a child, harboring a runaway and possession of methamphetamine.

Battles was charged with possession of methamphetamine. Gonzalez was charged with public intoxication.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be handed down to the suspects.