WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Two people are in custody after a West Palm Beach brothel was busted Thursday in the north end of the city.
According to a probable cause affidavit, police said they began investigating the suspected brothel earlier this year after receiving information that girls under the age of 18 were involved.
Police said from August to October they conducted surveillance at the suspected brothel, located at 510 47th St. in West Palm Beach.
The affidavit states they consider a brothel to be a “building in which prostitutes are available for sexual favors in exchange for money.”
Investigators said during surveillance of the suspected brothel, they spotted 10 to 15 “johns” going inside, staying 10 to 15 minutes and then leaving.
During busier days, 20 to 30 “johns” would arrive at the location. Surveillance video showed that different women would arrive and stay all day with the average hours of operation being from noon to 9 p.m., the affidavit stated.
Police said some of the females would arrive on a Monday morning and would not be seen leaving until late Friday night or Saturday night.
After receiving a judge’s warrant on Thursday, police said they arrived at the building and took into custody the doorman, identified as Herver E. Barrios, 38, of West Palm Beach and a suspected prostitute, identified as Belgica Diaz, 55, of Lake Worth.
Diaz explained to police how the operation worked, saying the "john" would first knock on the door. Barrios would answer and the "john" would pay him $30. Diaz said Barrios would then give the "john" a token or plastic chip.
The "john" would then give the token to a prostitute in exchange for sex. Diaz told police that at the end of the day, the prostitute would turn in their tokens to Barrios and he would pay Diaz $15 per token turned in.
Police said Barrios confirmed Diaz's account of how the brothel operated but said he was not "the boss," but a man he knew as "Carlos" was his boss.
Barrios said he could not provide a phone number or address for "Carlos" but he would visit the brothel every three days, and Barrios would give him money.
Barrios told police the brothel had been operating for two years.
Barrios faces multiple charges including maintaining a house of prostitution and transporting them to the location. Diaz faces a prostitution charge.
