WaymakersOC

Waymakers has been building safer communities for over 50 years, helping people move past conflict and crisis to strength and stability.

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Change isn’t just a concept, it’s built by those who see what’s possible 💙

Our 2025 Impact Report is officially here, and while the numbers show our scale, the stories show our heart.

https://t.co/a23S7wh7nN

#OrangeCounty #nonprofit #victimservices

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Your Brand. Their Brighter Future. ✨

We’re inviting you to partner with Waymakers for our Chari-TEA Afternoon Tea Party on March 28th at the Spring Tea Garden in Fullerton.

https://t.co/v2lK3F1qsw

#orangecounty #sponsorship #orangecountyevents

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Labor trafficking is happening in communities across the U.S., including right here in Orange County. Awareness saves lives. If something feels off, trust your instincts and report it.

📞 National Human Trafficking Hotline: [phone]
📲 Text HELP to 233733
#LaborTrafficking

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

🚩 Know the Red Flags of Labor Trafficking 🚩

Labor trafficking happens in plain sight—often in restaurants, construction, agriculture, domestic work, and factories. Knowing the warning signs can help protect vulnerable workers.

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Watch for these 🚩
• Being paid little or not at all
• Working excessively long hours without breaks
• Having IDs, passports, or documents taken away
• Living and working in the same place under control
• Being threatened, intimidated, or unable to leave freely

[OCDA Todd Spitzer @OCDAToddSpitzer]

Long Beach Man with Prior Kidnapping Conviction Charged with Multiple Human Trafficking Felonies After Tip Leads Human Trafficking Task Force to Rescue 17-year-old Victim at Anaheim Motel

Click here for full press release: https://t.co/Z9xZ6XCuyS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 33-year-old Long Beach man with a prior conviction for kidnapping has been charged with multiple sex trafficking felonies after he was arrested by the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF) at an Anaheim motel with a teenage girl he was selling for sex.

On January 8, 2026, OCHTTF Investigators received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a 17-year-old girl who was possibly the victim of sex trafficking. The task force immediately launched a human trafficking investigation and began searching for the girl.

Just hours later, OCHTTF Investigators found the teenage girl and her trafficker, 33-year-old Michael Terrell Armstrong of Long Beach, at an Anaheim motel. OCHTTF Investigators arrested Armstrong and provided victim services to the teenage girl.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (HEAT) has charged Armstrong with one felony count of human trafficking of a minor, one felony count of pimping a minor over the age of 16 years, and one felony count of pandering with a minor over 16 years old. He faces a maximum sentence of 29 years in state prison if convicted on all charges. Prosecutors successfully argued for Armstrong to be kept in custody in lieu of $250,000 bond.

“The faces of human trafficking are unbelievably the faces of children, the most vulnerable victims who are being exploited by some of the most diabolical predators that exist. Our children are not for sale here in Orange County – or anywhere,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Through our collaborative efforts, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force continues to be a beacon of hope for victims that help is on the way and that we will be unrelenting in our efforts to rescue each and every victim of human trafficking – and to punish their traffickers with the full force of the law.”

This investigation illustrates the commitment of the OCHTTF and its partnering agencies in locating and identifying victims of pimping or human trafficking. The Anaheim Police Department and Waymakers co-chair the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force. The lead agencies for the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force also includes the California Highway Patrol, Garden Grove Police Department, Irvine Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Orange County District Attorney's Office, Orange County Probation Department, Orange County Social Services Agency, U.S. Attorney's Office, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. For more information about the OCHTTF, visit https://t.co/VmP5q16jRV.

A critical component of the OCHTTF is the OCDA’s HEAT Unit, which targets perpetrators who sexually exploit and traffic women and underage girls for financial gain, including pimps, panderers, and human traffickers. The HEAT Unit uses a tactical plan called PERP: Prosecution, to bring justice for victims of human trafficking and hold perpetrators responsible using Prop 35; Education, to provide law enforcement training to properly handle human trafficking and pandering cases; Resources from public-private partnerships to raise public awareness about human trafficking and provide assistance to the victims; and Publicity, to inform the public and send a message to human traffickers that this crime cannot be perpetrated without suffering severe consequences.

If you, or anyone you know has been a victim of human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at [phone] or contact your local law enforcement department.

Deputy District Attorney Steven Bunn of the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (HEAT) is prosecuting this case.

@NCMEC @OCHTTF @WaymakersOC @AnaheimPD @CHP_HQ @GardenGrovePD @IrvinePolice @SantaAnaPD @CA_ABC @FBI @OCProbationDept @OrangeCountySSA @USAO_LosAngeles @DHSgov

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Your Brand. Their Brighter Future. ✨

We’re inviting you to partner with Waymakers for our Chari-TEA Afternoon Tea Party on March 28th at the Spring Tea Garden in Fullerton.

https://t.co/v2lK3F1qsw

#orangecounty #sponsorship #orangecountyevents

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

🧺 Urgent Need:

Our Tustin Youth Shelter is in desperate need of a working dryer new or gently used. @HomeDepot @Costco @Lowes @BestBuy

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

🚨 #Help Needed! 🚨

At Waymakers’ Tustin Youth Shelter, we provide a safe and supportive space for kids in crisis — but we can’t do it without YOU.

Year-round, our shelter needs essentials!

#orangecounty #tustin

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

BIG NEWS! Waymakers is a proud Breakaway Fund recipient! 🎉 Thanks to the @SamueliFound , we’ll strengthen our strategy, grow revenue, and expand our impact. Grateful to be among the OC nonprofits supported by this $11M initiative! 💙 #BreakawayFund #OCNonprofits

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Tonight, we raise our voices and we honor survivors.

Take Back The Night is more than an event—it’s a movement against sexual violence and a reminder that survivors are never alone.

Waymakers is proud to stand with survivors this #SAAM2025.
#TakeBackTheNight #SupportSurvivors

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Healthcare professionals can be a lifeline for survivors of human trafficking. Join us May 3 for Know More, Do Better—a free training on how to recognize signs and respond with care.

Register: https://t.co/iLltr5AG0a

#HumanTraffickingAwareness #TraumaInformedCare #WaymakersOC

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Friday, May 2, 2025, and join us at the Victims' Rights Conference 2025 from 8AM–2PM at the Anaheim Marriott Suites in Garden Grove!

This year’s theme, “The Power of Resilience: Strength Through Power,” honors the strength of those who support and uplift #victims every day.

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

We’re proud to celebrate our CEO, Ronnetta Johnson, honored at the Women Making a Difference Brunch for her leadership + advocacy! Thank you @SupervisorFoley for recognizing women empowering OC. Here’s to moving forward together! #WomensHistoryMonth #WaymakersOC

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Waymakers OC Showdown charity softball game at The Great Park! Your support helps us make a meaningful impact in the lives of victims of crime, and we are truly grateful for your generosity and spirit.

#OrangeCounty #victimsmatter #CA

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

At Waymakers, our mission is to empower survivors, educate communities, and foster meaningful change. As the only rape crisis center in Orange County, our Sexual Assault Victim Services team provides free, confidential support to those impacted by sexual violence #saam

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Let’s stand with survivors, raise awareness, and take action to end sexual violence. Every voice matters.

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Know More, Do Better 3.0: Empowering Students to Prevent Human Trafficking
500+ students from 22 campuses in #OrangeCounty

#EndHumanTrafficking #KnowMoreDoBetter

Read more ⬇️

https://t.co/s2nhpsSiFC

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Recently, Waymakers, in collaboration with the Sexual Assault Response Team, recognized Deputies Vasquez and Raymond of OCSD - San Juan Capistrano Police Services for their outstanding work in supporting a survivor of sexual assault during a call for service. Thank you deputies!

[WaymakersOC @WaymakersOC]

Students Lead the Way for Mental Health at Cypress High! A new Wellness Room is now open, thanks to the dedication of student advocates and support from Waymakers.

https://t.co/RmyuGSo6FH

#OrangeCounty #waymakersoc #cypressca