'Tibetan Healer' Sentenced for Sexual Battery of Escondido Massage Client

VISTA, CA — A self-proclaimed "Tibetan healer" who sexually assaulted a woman who hired him for a massage in Escondido was sentenced Tuesday to four years in state prison.

Vasiliy "Ardi" Galashev, 61, pleaded guilty in July to a sexual battery count.

In May 2015, a woman told Escondido police that she was sexually assaulted by Galashev, who called himself "Master Ardi" and claimed to be a "seventh-generation Tibetan healer," Detective Jeff Udvarhelyi said.

In November, crime lab personnel determined that DNA evidence provided by the victim and suspect were a match, according to Udvarhelyi. Galashev, a registered sex offender, was arrested in December.

— City News Service

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