Massage Parlor Loses Permit As a Result of Solicitation Arrest

The owner of a Scotts Valley massage business where police arrested a woman for prostitution lost her appeal to keep the establishment open.

On Wednesday, City Council members voted unanimously to revoke the Massage Establishment Permit for Jihong Yu, owner of Shiatsu Spa at 4807 Scotts Valley Dr., saying she is ultimately responsible for the actions of her employees.

“You have a responsibility to the public and to your employees to know what is going on in your business,” Mayor Dene Bustichi said to Yu. “While we know it was not you, personally, it was someone you had responsibility over. This is a situation where we can’t overlook something like this. This is a hard line for us in terms of protecting our public and our laws, and not wanting this sort of element to be here in Scotts Valley.”

On Jan. 27, a Scotts Valley police detective who was part of an undercover investigation into the spa was sexually solicited by massage practitioner Qiuying Zhang, 62. Zhang, whose permit to practice massage had also expired, was arrested, and the case is before the District Attorney’s Office.

Police Chief John Weiss made the decision to revoke the business’ permit after Yu failed to show up to a hearing on Feb. 7 to give reasons why her permit should not be revoked. Yu told the council that she could not face the situation and was afraid to attend the hearing.

Yu, who said she was in China at the time of Zhang’s arrest and had no idea what Zhang was doing, pleaded with the city to overturn Weiss’ decision. Speaking through an interpreter, Yu said that she has been in business in Scotts Valley for 5½ years and has done good things in the community, including making donations to local schools and helping the police catch a robber a couple of years ago.

Yu also stressed that she was not the one who committed the crime and that she has always followed the rules laid out by the city.

However, Weiss said Shiatsu Spa is the only establishment in Scotts Valley that has caught the eye of the police department. He added that the establishment had been investigated in the past.

“We have developed intelligence in the past and currently on this establishment that raised some concerns,” Weiss said. “That’s why the detective in this case went in, based on what we were hearing, and guess what, he was propositioned.”

Weiss said he stands by his decision to revoke the permit.

Councilman Jim Reed said this is also not the first time he has heard talk about the services offered at the spa.

“I’ve heard a couple of things directly to me from people I know and respect from the community that have heard about what services people have received at this particular massage parlor, and it’s been more than massage,” Reed said. “The bottom line for me is that I don’t want this business in Scotts Valley and I don’t think the community wants it either.”