No one answered the door to unit 97 at the Casa Verde apartments in north Houston. Authorities say it is where Pedro Salas, 29, and Mildays Ramos, 41, had been running a brothel. They're accused of charging men who came here for sex.
Jose Garcia moved in next door two weeks ago.
"(Different men), they'd come and go," Garcia said.
According to court documents, customers would know the brothel was open for business when a Puerto Rican flag was placed in the front window. Lucia Cedano, Oliviel Morales, Pedro Miranda Salas, Fernando Herrera and Milady Ramos are all charged with engaging in criminal activity.
"There were always different cars and trucks parked right here, outside also," recalled neighbor Carolina Pena. "Every time I would come and visit my grandparents there would always be a different truck or car parked here."
The foursome is accused of operating three brothels at Houston-area apartments on Goodson and Amelia and one on South Shaver in Pasadena.
Garcia says he hasn't seen his neighbors in three days. The shock is still settling in.
Pena said, "We didn't think it was anything strange because little kids were always playing on the back porch."
Authorities say the suspects had been under surveillance for some time. They say the four suspects were part of a crime ring called the Corporan criminal organization. The head of that crime ring reportedly led authorities to the suspects.
