FALLBROOK: Two arrested during massage parlor prostitution stings

FALLBROOK -- Two women from two different Fallbrook area businesses were arrested after a multi-agency coordinated prostitution sting, Friday, June 2. Today's arrests followed complaints from the community regarding several local massage parlors, said Fallbrook Sheriff Substation Lieutenant Patrick Gardner.

The women were arrested at Jasmine Massage at 412 South Main Avenue and Coco Massage at 1075 South Mission Road after allegedly soliciting undercover officers for sex, according to Sergeant Blumenthal, who lead the sting operation. Sgt. Blumenthal is with the San Diego Sheriff's Sex Trafficking Unit.

Authorities made the arrests after officials from several area law enforcement agencies worked together to locate and identify businesses that were conducting illegal activity "at massage parlors located within Fallbrook," Sergeant Blumenthal said after the arrests.

Detectives from the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, San Diego Sheriff's Licensing Unit, United States Criminal Investigative Service and the San Diego Sheriff's Fallbrook Substation's Crime Suppression Unit conducted the prostitution sting.

During the sting operation authorities arrested 61-year-old, Lu Qiuying at Jasmine Massage and 48-year-old, Xzhang Ling at Coco Massage. Both women were booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of prostitution. Bail for both was set at $2,000.

It was not immediately known exactly what role the two women play in the alleged prostitution business and neither of the women are cooperating with the investigation, according to Blumenthal. Officials are still working to determine if the two women arrested were part of - or victims of - human trafficking. Both women are of Chinese descent, and it is not known how long they have been in the United States. The investigation is active and ongoing.

An online jail records search conducted at 6 p.m., Friday evening, revealed neither woman was still in custody.

Anyone with additional information about this incident should contact Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Callers can remain anonymous; however, those with tips and information that result in a felony arrest may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward.

For a complete story, see the Village News 6/8/17 edition.