Woodbury Hotel Helps Cops Nab Craigslist Hookers

The Nassau County Police Department is crediting the proactive response of an area hotel in the recent arrest of prostitutes who used craigslist to find johns.

Three arrests have taken place at the Executive Inn in Woodbury since June 8. On that day 32-year-old Victor Lopez, while dressed as a female, was nabbed trying to sell sex to an undercover cop. On June 16 a pair of women, 22-year-old Desjon McKee Anderson and 30-year-old Kersten Gaines, were also taken into custody.

"[Hotel staffers] were the ones that worked with us," Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone told Syosset Patch. "They called us when they suspected this activity and continue to do so, and that's how we were able to make those arrests. They have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior."

Last year craigslist replaced its "Erotic Services" listing with "Adult Services," saying that manual processing of ads would help ferret out illegal activity. But in the Woodbury cases officers were able to respond to the ads and make the necessary transactions at the hotel to prompt arrests.

"We hope these arrests serve as a deterrent," Det. Sgt. Repalone said. "A good, family-run business that's on the level and relies on locals to use them for catering and such shouldn't be affected negatively by something they weren't involved in."