PENNSYLVANIA — A stabbing along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Franklin County led to the arrest of two men accused of human trafficking, according to state police.
Troopers reported encountering a vehicle that had driven into the median on I-76 in Lurgan Township at 5:39 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19. Three people were in the vehicle: two men and a woman.
Police said one of the men suffered a deep laceration to his neck and shoulder. He was provided emergency care on scene and flown to Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center. His current condition is unknown. The female passenger initially fled when officers arrived but was located a short distance away.
Through investigation, authorities determined the woman did not know the two men. She told police she believed she was being taken to New York, but investigators found she was being transported to Philadelphia. According to police, the men allegedly planned to force her into coerced sexual activity upon arrival and threatened her if she resisted.
The men, identified as 30-year-old Jose Antonio Hernandez Gutierrez and 28-year-old Edgar Jesus Espinoza Gamboa, were charged with human trafficking, simple assault, and terroristic threats. Both were taken to the Franklin County Prison.
The Pennsylvania State Police Major Case Team and Bureau of Criminal Investigations continue to investigate the incident.
