Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Mid-city Ambassador chases down trans prostitutes

"They now take their johns up to Polk Avenue"

Edwin Lohr: “As much as I don’t care for 7-Eleven...."
Edwin Lohr: “As much as I don’t care for 7-Eleven...."

On March 26, Edwin Lohr was a panelist at the Prostitution Impact Panel at the police store front near 54th Street and University Avenue.

“I am getting educated and we are telling these johns, 'You think you’re safe having sex with a prostitute, but your life can be in danger because we’ve had people that have been killed by the prostitute and their pimps.'”

Lohr, 60, is also known as the Mid-city Ambassador. He’s been bringing in artists to beautify the walls of the businesses in his Cherokee Point neighborhood (at University Avenue between 805 and 15), and he’s been working to eradicate the prostitution near the same murals.

When I interviewed with Lohr last summer by a Sand One mural on the North Park Dental office building, he pointed out a prostitute by the Finest Donuts.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“He wasn’t breaking the law with his shirt off,” Lohr said, “because legally he’s a man. That guys got more beautiful boobs than most women, and he was notorious for showing private parts to kids.”

Since our interview, a new 7-Eleven has opened up a block away from the donut shop. On April 2, I spoke to one of the employees there, and he said that he sees one “black prostitute” walking by his business on 35th Street on a regular basis. “I think he or she is on meds,” he said, “we don’t allow that here, this is a family place.”

“As much as I don’t care for 7-Eleven,” Lohr said, “that was the best thing right there to have — it's lit up 24-7, it’s clean, and it looks nice.”

Rifles works at one of the tire shops that is close to the 7-Eleven.

“The prostitution here is less prevalent,” he said, “I still see the a 6’5″ black man or woman with the stilettos that brings him or her up to 7-feet tall. They now take their [johns] up to Polk Avenue where it’s darker and there’s less activity.”

Iliana is an attendant at the Chevron gas station on University Avenue that sits atop the 805 Freeway. She lives in Cherokee Point. “Some of them come into our store,” she said, “they are nice, and it’s probably the only way the transgender prostitutes can make a living.”

Another Cherokee Point resident posted on her social media: “That trans folks have historically been persecuted to the point that prostitution became one of the few viable options for employment. I’m glad that the world is changing, and people’s hearts and minds are opening."

I reached out to her via a private message and she responded by saying “I haven’t seen the action some of these guys are talking about, but I’m highly disturbed by their use of what I would consider demeaning language.”

“I’ve noticed a decrease [in prostitution] and I think it’s good that they did a sting operation here,” Iliana said, “because one of them that came to my store was a 17-year-old. They hang out further that way (towards I-15).”

I spoke to a package carrier delivery-man who services the whole neighborhood. “Four of them have moved closer to the 15 freeway and I think they are homeless,” he said.

“You think you are going to have a $20 blowjob and its costing $500 because they took your billfold,” Lohr said, as he reenacted one of the personal stories that he’s heard, “… and then the prostitute yelled “What are you going to do about it buddy, are you gong to call the cops, you just had sex with me.”

Lohr said that he hasn’t witnessed any shady-activity on University Avenue, since February. “We probably cannot eradicate prostitution, but if we let them know that we live here too, and our space is valuable, you’re just gonna have to move somewhere else to do your business because it’s not welcome here.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Live Five: Sitting On Stacy, Matte Blvck, Think X, Hendrix Celebration, Coriander

Alt-ska, dark electro-pop, tributes, and coastal rock in Solana Beach, Little Italy, Pacific Beach
Edwin Lohr: “As much as I don’t care for 7-Eleven...."
Edwin Lohr: “As much as I don’t care for 7-Eleven...."

On March 26, Edwin Lohr was a panelist at the Prostitution Impact Panel at the police store front near 54th Street and University Avenue.

“I am getting educated and we are telling these johns, 'You think you’re safe having sex with a prostitute, but your life can be in danger because we’ve had people that have been killed by the prostitute and their pimps.'”

Lohr, 60, is also known as the Mid-city Ambassador. He’s been bringing in artists to beautify the walls of the businesses in his Cherokee Point neighborhood (at University Avenue between 805 and 15), and he’s been working to eradicate the prostitution near the same murals.

When I interviewed with Lohr last summer by a Sand One mural on the North Park Dental office building, he pointed out a prostitute by the Finest Donuts.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“He wasn’t breaking the law with his shirt off,” Lohr said, “because legally he’s a man. That guys got more beautiful boobs than most women, and he was notorious for showing private parts to kids.”

Since our interview, a new 7-Eleven has opened up a block away from the donut shop. On April 2, I spoke to one of the employees there, and he said that he sees one “black prostitute” walking by his business on 35th Street on a regular basis. “I think he or she is on meds,” he said, “we don’t allow that here, this is a family place.”

“As much as I don’t care for 7-Eleven,” Lohr said, “that was the best thing right there to have — it's lit up 24-7, it’s clean, and it looks nice.”

Rifles works at one of the tire shops that is close to the 7-Eleven.

“The prostitution here is less prevalent,” he said, “I still see the a 6’5″ black man or woman with the stilettos that brings him or her up to 7-feet tall. They now take their [johns] up to Polk Avenue where it’s darker and there’s less activity.”

Iliana is an attendant at the Chevron gas station on University Avenue that sits atop the 805 Freeway. She lives in Cherokee Point. “Some of them come into our store,” she said, “they are nice, and it’s probably the only way the transgender prostitutes can make a living.”

Another Cherokee Point resident posted on her social media: “That trans folks have historically been persecuted to the point that prostitution became one of the few viable options for employment. I’m glad that the world is changing, and people’s hearts and minds are opening."

I reached out to her via a private message and she responded by saying “I haven’t seen the action some of these guys are talking about, but I’m highly disturbed by their use of what I would consider demeaning language.”

“I’ve noticed a decrease [in prostitution] and I think it’s good that they did a sting operation here,” Iliana said, “because one of them that came to my store was a 17-year-old. They hang out further that way (towards I-15).”

I spoke to a package carrier delivery-man who services the whole neighborhood. “Four of them have moved closer to the 15 freeway and I think they are homeless,” he said.

“You think you are going to have a $20 blowjob and its costing $500 because they took your billfold,” Lohr said, as he reenacted one of the personal stories that he’s heard, “… and then the prostitute yelled “What are you going to do about it buddy, are you gong to call the cops, you just had sex with me.”

Lohr said that he hasn’t witnessed any shady-activity on University Avenue, since February. “We probably cannot eradicate prostitution, but if we let them know that we live here too, and our space is valuable, you’re just gonna have to move somewhere else to do your business because it’s not welcome here.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Classical Classical at The San Diego Symphony Orchestra

A concert I didn't know I needed
Next Article

Syrian treat maker Hakmi Sweets makes Dubai chocolate bars

Look for the counter shop inside a Mediterranean grill in El Cajon
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader