Google Maps images saying "help" in LA is handiwork of a trespasser, not linked to human trafficking

A set of coordinates are circulating social media and, as of Jan. 27, plugging them into Google Maps revealed a concerning image: an aerial view of the word "help" written more than a dozen times on Los Angeles property belonging to Union Pacific Railroad. 

The words "trafico," "federal," terrorismo" and an abbreviation for the Los Angeles Police Department also appear in the aerial shot.

"This was spotted on Google Maps in Los Angeles, California, with the words ‘help’ and ‘traffico’ written in the debris, surrounded by shipping containers," multiple Jan. 26 Facebook posts said.

A Jan. 27 post called the image a "chilling discovery," noting that it left "some speculating it could be connected to human trafficking."

"Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is buzzing with users attempting to decode the message," the post said. "One user noted the proximity to Union Pacific Railroad and suggested it could be related to shipping activity. Others have called for urgent investigation, with one commenter stating, ‘This looks like a desperate cry for help, possibly from a human trafficking victim.’"

These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

A Union Pacific spokesperson told PolitiFact the messages aren’t nefarious. 

"Photos circulating on Google Maps that show the word ‘help’ on Union Pacific property were created about a year ago — no one was or is in danger," Robynn Tysver, a company spokesperson, said in an email. "A man trespassed on Union Pacific and other nearby properties to repeatedly create these misleading messages. We want to remind the public that it is illegal — and more importantly unsafe — to trespass on Union Pacific Property."

Tysver said the man created the messages on property "located on our LA intermodal terminal." Such terminals are where freight moves from one mode of transportation to another.  

Featured Fact-check

Threads posts

stated on January 2, 2025 in a Threads post

“Mark Cuban shifts company from Texas to California: ‘Can’t operate in red states.’”

The Los Angeles Police Department referred PolitiFact’s questions about the image to Union Pacific Railroad. 

Someone who describes himself as a Los Angeles resident on X posted videos Jan. 26 of people saying that the person behind the messages is a homeless man. 

The Los Angeles Police Department responded Jan. 27 to one of the videos and said: "We’ve had several different contacts with the individual you speak of. He has refused housing or a mental health evaluation. There is no evidence of human trafficking. He has been at the location for a few years." 

If evidence emerges that the words are related to more than trespassing, we’ll reconsider our ruling. 

For now, it’s False.