Prostitution Arrest Affects Massage Parlor Owner's Ability to Operate at City, State Level

A prostitution arrest at a Murrieta massage parlor may have a long-term legal affect on the owner’s ability to legitimately operate not only in the city, but statewide.

During a special meeting held Oct. 30, Murrieta City Council voted 4-0—Councilman Harry Ramos was not in attendance—to deny an appeal filed by Lina Wang after she was denied a city permit to operate Happy Feet massage parlor at 39525 Los Alamos Road.

The Murrieta Police Department—in addition to a business license, City of Murrieta municipal code requires massage parlor establishments to possess a special operating permit obtained through the Department—confirmed Happy Feet has since been sold to another operator not affiliated with Wang.

“As long as that person was not associated with Ms. Wang and passed the criminal background procedures they would be issued a permit to own and operate a business,” said Murrieta police Lt. Tony Conrad.

The new owner was issued an operating permit on Oct. 3, according to Conrad.

On the other hand, Wang’s status as a California-certified massage therapist was also revoked following a prostitution arrest that took place Feb. 21 at New Energy Body Center at 40365 Murrieta Hot Springs Road.

Employee Ying Guan was arrested on suspicion of prostitution when she allegedly touched the genitals of an undercover Murrieta police detective, according to city documents.

Acting under authority granted through City of Murrieta municipal code, then-Murrieta police Chief Mike Baray subsequently suspended Wang’s permit for New Energy Body Center. This was because she allegedly violated city code by allowing massage of prohibited areas. Further, as the operator/manager, she was found to be responsible for the conduct of all employees while they are on the licensed premises.

The chief also denied Wang’s application for a massage establishment permit to separately operate a new facility, Happy Feet. This was on the same basis that her existing New Energy permit was suspended for violating the city’s massage establishment regulations.

The special Murrieta City Council meeting on Oct. 30 served as the last in a series of hearings about Wang’s appeal of her permit denial.

“The chief of the Police Department has the authority to deny this permit and he has denied it,” said Murrieta Mayor Rick Gibbs. “And so that is what this Council is doing is rejecting the appeal of the police chief’s decision to deny her permit.”

The city permit denial coupled with a state revocation of her massage license have created an uphill legal battle for Wang, according to her attorney, Keith Kelly.

Wang, who was not present at the Council hearing, had already filed and lost a monetary claim against the city. The claim was for money lost in the lease agreement and tenant improvements for the Happy Feet location, Kelly told Patch after the hearing.

“She already had a lease in place and had spent money on tenant improvements to open,” Kelly said. “The last thing was getting the chief’s blessing.”

Kelly said a decision about whether to pursue further legal action against the city, as well as appeal her state license revocation, will be made in the coming weeks.

“The bigger problem for us is that this has caused problems with the California Massage Therapy Council,” Kelly said. “If you are not blessed by the state council you are going to have a problem opening anywhere in the state...We lost in that proceeding with the state as well, so the question is, ‘Do we also appeal that with the court?’”

Kelly contends that his client has not been charged with any criminal acts, and had no way of knowing her employee was violating her terms of business.