Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Suffolk County police have arrested two women and charged them with prostitution following the discovery of an alleged brothel operating out of a residential home on Commack Road in Dix Hills, according to News 12 Long Island. The arrests were made after detectives with the Suffolk County Police Department’s Human Trafficking Investigations Unit executed a search warrant at 1005 Commack Rd., a property in the Town of Huntington hamlet of Dix Hills.
The two women taken into custody were identified as Maria Marin-Barco, 31, of Flushing, and Andreina Campos-Herrera, 33, of Dix Hills. As News 12 Long Island reported on May 22, 2026, investigators say the women were advertising their services online, using digital platforms to solicit clients at the Commack Road address. Both women were charged with prostitution following their arrests.
The investigation that led to the search warrant was not initiated by a tip from law enforcement intelligence alone — according to News 12 Long Island, police say the inquiry was launched specifically in response to community complaints. Neighbors and members of the local community had flagged concerns about activity at the home, prompting detectives from the Human Trafficking Investigations Unit to begin their probe. That community-driven origin underscores the role that neighborhood awareness played in bringing the alleged operation to law enforcement’s attention.
During the execution of the search warrant, detectives recovered cash and electronic devices from inside the home. The electronic devices are expected to be of particular evidentiary value, as investigators had already established that the women were using online platforms to advertise the alleged services. Beyond the criminal charges against the two women, the Town of Huntington’s Code Enforcement division and the fire marshal also responded to the property and issued several summonses directly to the homeowner — a parallel enforcement action indicating that the home itself may have had code or safety violations independent of the criminal activity alleged therein.
One detail that drew notable attention from reporters covering the story was a sign for “Hope Enrichment Preschool” that remained visible in front of the property. The presence of the preschool signage outside a home where an alleged brothel was purportedly operating raised immediate concern. However, police moved quickly to address that specific question: investigators confirmed there was no evidence that a daycare was actually operating at 1005 Commack Road at the time of the bust. As News 12 Long Island noted, the sign remained on the property, but police found nothing to substantiate that childcare services were being conducted there.
Both Maria Marin-Barco and Andreina Campos-Herrera were issued desk appearance tickets following their arrests rather than being held on bail at the time of booking. They are each expected to appear in court for arraignment at a later, as-yet-unscheduled date. Suffolk County police have stated that the investigation remains ongoing.
Location & Road Context
The property at the center of this investigation sits at 1005 Commack Rd. in Dix Hills, a residential hamlet located within the Town of Huntington in western Suffolk County. Commack Road — also known in sections as NY Route 25 — is a major north-south arterial corridor that connects multiple Suffolk communities, running through heavily trafficked residential and commercial zones across Huntington and Smithtown. Dix Hills is a predominantly suburban community known for its high property values and single-family home character, making the alleged commercial operation at a residential address particularly conspicuous to neighbors.
The hamlet has seen a range of incidents in recent months, including a serious tractor-trailer crash on May 9, 2026 that required a driver to be airlifted to the hospital, and a major DWI crash in April 2026 that left a 21-year-old seriously injured. The concentration of incidents in this area of Suffolk County continues to draw law enforcement attention across multiple units and divisions.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Both women — Marin-Barco and Campos-Herrera — were charged with prostitution, a criminal offense under New York State law. Rather than being remanded or held pending arraignment, each was issued a desk appearance ticket, a common prosecutorial tool in New York that requires a defendant to appear in court at a scheduled future date without immediate detention. Their arraignments have not yet been scheduled as of the time of the initial report.
The Suffolk County Police Department’s Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, which led the operation, confirmed that the investigation is not closed. Authorities are asking anyone with additional information about the alleged operation or related activity to contact the Human Trafficking Investigations Unit directly at 631-854-7512. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. Separately, the Town of Huntington’s Code Enforcement office and the fire marshal issued several summonses to the property’s homeowner — indicating that municipal-level enforcement proceedings may continue on a parallel track alongside the criminal case.
Broader Impact
The discovery of an alleged brothel operating out of a residential home in a suburban Dix Hills neighborhood — particularly one bearing a preschool sign on its facade — highlights the ongoing work of Suffolk County’s dedicated Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, which has been active across multiple high-profile cases on Long Island in recent months. Human trafficking and prostitution investigations in New York carry serious potential consequences beyond the initial prostitution charge, including enhanced felony-level charges if trafficking elements are later confirmed by prosecutors. Anyone who believes they have information relevant to this or related activity is urged to contact investigators at the numbers above.