8 busted in Peekskill, accused of soliciting sex from undercover troopers

By TERENCE CORCORAN
THE JOURNAL NEWS


(Original publication: July 19, 2007)
PEEKSKILL - Be careful about soliciting a prostitute in Peekskill. She may be a cop.

Eight Peekskill men learned that lesson the hard way this week when city police teamed with state police for a prostitution sting, Detective Sgt. Eric Johansen said today.

Police have received several complaints from residents of the 300 block of Highland Avenue about prostitutes working their block.

So on Tuesday night, undercover troopers with the New York State Police posed as prostitutes on Highland Avenue.

Eight men who approached the women for sex were charged with patronizing a prostitute, a misdemeanor. Several of them had their vehicles impounded because they were using them in the commission of a crime, police said.

Charged were: Angel Sacasari, 40; Juan Rojas, 31; Carlos Lituma, 29; Edwin Morales, 26; Luis Morocho, 30; Javier Ortez-Soto, 19; Manuel Romero, 46; and Luis Lucero, 29.

In addition, police said they will be notifying federal immigration officials because it appears that the majority of those arrested are undocumented immigrants from Central or South America.

Chief Eugene Tumolo vowed to continue to crack down on crimes like prostitution that have a negative impact on certain neighborhoods.

"The police department is committed to eliminating the nuisances associated with prostitution and regularly deploys plainclothes and uniform officers whose specific task is to target these and other quality-of-life offenses," Tumolo said in a statement this morning.

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