In a remarkable turn of events, a woman who had been a victim of human trafficking was discovered hiding in a bathroom at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. After evading her captors for an astonishing 10 days, she was found by Monica Phillips, a security officer at the airport who is trained to identify signs of human trafficking.
Phillips’ involvement began with a suspicious phone call from the woman’s son. He informed her that his 52-year-old mother had boarded a flight from Lubbock, Texas to Houston on May 28 but had not been heard from since. Although the delay in reporting was perplexing, it raised a red flag for Phillips, who had an instinctive feeling that this could be a case of human trafficking.
On June 7, Phillips arrived at work to find a woman who was speaking Hungarian and struggling to communicate with the police. Sensing a connection, Phillips used translation technology to verify the woman’s story. It turned out to be the same woman reported missing. Despite the language barrier, Phillips’ determination to help the victim remained unwavering.
Further investigation revealed that the woman had traveled from Lubbock to Houston with two men and was supposed to catch a flight to Europe. However, she managed to escape her captors and sought refuge in the airport bathroom, where she hid for ten days.
Monica Phillips, the airport worker who discovered the woman, expressed her empathy for the victim’s harrowing ordeal. She highlighted the importance of providing support and assistance to those who find themselves in similar situations. Phillips’ dedication and quick thinking played a crucial role in rescuing the woman from her captors.