Fresno massage parlor suspected of prostitution shut down by police

April 24--A Fresno massage parlor suspected of prostitution was shut down this week by a Fresno police task force.

Spring Day Massage, located at 5149 E. Blackstone Ave. in central Fresno, had been open for about three years and employed an estimated 16 Chinese masseuses, said Fresno police Sgt. Curtis Chastain, who supervises the department's vice and criminal intelligence units.

One complaint Fresno police received about the parlor came from the parent of a child who had gone to play at a laser tag business nearby, Chastain said.

The parent told police "her kid was told by other kids that this is a place where you can lose your virginity."

The business was shut down when police cited city ordinance and labor code violations. The owner, Ren Yuqiong, 48, was cited, but not arrested. The business could reopen if the labor violations are addressed, such as providing workers' compensation insurance and proper certification of masseuses through the state, Chastain said.

No one was cited for prostitution charges, although police said they found evidence that employees likely were engaged in trading sex for money.

In the past, police have busted masseuses on prostitution charges, but have had a harder time stopping the owners of those businesses, who often claim they had no idea an employee was engaged in prostitution, Chastain said. The Spring Day bust focused on taking down the business.

"We're hoping it will send the message to owners not to take advantage of employees," Chastain said. "And if we get a complaint of sexual misconduct -- and that's the majority of the complaints -- we're not just going to look at that. We will hold the business owner accountable, too."

Police also suspected human trafficking was possible during investigations of the massage parlor over the past six months, but there was no evidence gathered this week that warranted those types of charges, Chastain said.

A term of the masseuses' employment was that they had to live in a small apartment nearby, and pay $10 a day towards rent, he said.

Police busted the business Tuesday afternoon along with officials from two state labor agencies and the FBI, accompanied by Chinese language translators.

There are about 220 massage parlors in Fresno, Chastain said. Since 2010, a Fresno police task force has focused on busting illegal massage parlors, supported by a special grant through the state. Police have cited at least four massage parlors since then, he said.

The reporter can be reached at (559) 441-6386, cgeorge@fresnobee.com or @CarmenGeorge on Twitter.

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