A Central Florida truck driver has been arrested after Pennsylvania police say he was holding two people against their will inside his rig.
According to a report from the Berks County, Pennsylvania, Sheriff’s Office, William Gutierrez, 63, was arrested after one of the alleged victims called 911 at around 4 p.m. on April 19.
Using GPS, 911 dispatchers located the truck, and police were sent to its location.
Court documents show that the man and woman being held by Gutierrez were in a husband-and-wife type relationship but were unmarried. They told police that they had been riding with Gutierrez for several weeks against their will after he promised to enroll the man into a commercial driver’s licensing program.
Police said both victims are Nicaragua natives who entered the country illegally; they were arrested by Homeland Security before being released on their own recognizance.
Investigators reported that the male victim and Gutierrez were from the same town in Nicaragua and communicated via Facebook for several years.
Finally, during one Facebook conversation, Gutierrez asked the victim to take part in his CDL training program, which the man believed would be his path to a successful trucking career, court documents show.
However, the so-called program involved the victim — who held no type of license — doing a majority of the driving while Gutierrez sat back and used drugs and alcohol, according to authorities.
After one instance where Gutierrez became extremely high and unresponsive, police say the male victim decided to take a chance and call 911 for help.
The male victim also told police that Gutierrez forced the couple to hide during weigh station stops and altered the computer’s ELD, allowing them to travel non-stop.
Additionally, Gutierrez refused to pay the man any money, which he had promised, then threatened the couple’s families if they didn’t do what he said.
Gutierrez is charged with trafficking in individuals, involuntary servitude, non-payment of wages and unlawful restraint.
He’s being held at Berks County Jail on $250,000 bail.