Seven arrested in Aurora prostitution sting

Seven people face prostitution-related charges after being nabbed last week in an Internet sting conducted by Aurora police, authorities said Monday.

All seven were arrested at a far west side hotel, police said, in the wake of an undercover investigation by detectives from the department's Special Operations Group that focused on prostitution activities advertised on the Internet.

Charged with solicitation of a sexual act were:

• Gordon Luedtke, 48, of the 32W000 block of Church Hill Lane, Wayne;

• Rafael Medrano (aka Sandra Medrano), 34, of the 1100 block of Lebanon Street, Aurora;

• Kathleen Szarowicz, 23, of the 5600 block of 8th Street, Grandville, Mich.;

• Nicole Deuchler, 29, of the 1000 block of Fenton Street, Aurora;

• Victoria Clausen, 20, of the 200 block of Nippert Avenue, Romeoville;

• Heather Kroner, 21, of the 1900 block of West 28th Street, Van Buren, Ark.;

• and Wendy Negron, 34, of the 2500 block of South Finley Road, Lombard.

Authorities said the operation, which targeted the erotic sections of Craigslist and Backpage.com, began during the evening of Dec. 30 and continued into the early morning hours of Dec. 31.

Police did not name the hotel, citing its cooperation with authorities.