Sacramento County sheriff's deputies lead away two women arrested today after deputies raided the Great Value Inn on Watt Avenue. Deputies said the motel is a haven for prostitutes. Bee photo/Manny Crisostomo
By Kim Minugh
kiminugh@sacbee.com
Sacramento County sheriff's deputies arrested the manager of a North Highlands motel this afternoon for allegedly allowing prostitution to go on unchecked, according to authorities.
Arrested at the Great Value Inn on Watt Avenue was 26-year-old Ranil "Ron" Barma.
Deputies also have a warrant for the arrest of his brother, 25-year-old Ravnil "Neal" Barma; however, he was not at the motel today because he is reportedly on his way to Fiji, said sheriff's Sgt. Kate Adams.
Deputies also arrested four women on suspicion of prostitution and a man on an unrelated warrant, Adams said.
Deputies allege that the Great Value Inn is a notorious haven for prostitution and has been for years. Officials have been trying to work with the motel's owner and managers since the fall, Adams said, but without any success.
Today's action, she said, is meant to send a message to the motel's owner and to other motel owners that "this behavior won't be tolerated."
"Citizens of this area have tolerated this long enough," Adams said.
Standing outside a patrol car in handcuffs, Ranil Barma said he is aware of the prostitution problem and that he and his brother have tried to do something about it.
They try to scare off the prostitutes when they see what the women are up to, he said, but added that when they are renting out rooms, they can't know up front which are being rented for illegal business.
"I'm just doing my job," he told reporters.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
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