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Guishun Li, 49, of 13981 35th Flushing, was arrested Wednesday on two counts of promoting prostitution and one count of prostitution, police said.
She had previously been arrested in October along with another woman at the same spa, then known as Nirvana but now known as Emerald Spa at 118 Main St., on prostitution-related charges. She is still before the court on the October charges.
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The undercover officer entered the spa at about 5:30 p.m. and asked for a one-hour massage. The woman negotiated the $80 price for a sex act, at which point the officer sent out a predetermined signal alerting the other officers, who then entered the establishment, Lt. James Walsh said.
The officer who was about to receive the service, left the scene and the other officers conducted the arrest, Walsh said.
The spa has been the focus of police investigations before, and Walsh said police also received text and email tips from the public including photographs of patrons vehicles as they left the area.
"The police department appreciates the community’s input in an attempt to eradicate this from Main Street," he said.
None of the citizens providing information had confronted any of the patrons, Walsh said. He said that's important because police don't want residents to potentially place themselves in harm's way.
"We would never want a citizen to place themselves in that type of predicament," he said.
Related story: Two women arrested at massage parlor after prostitution sting
Walsh said police conducted hours of surveillance on the spa and even followed a handful of patrons and stopped them once a motor vehicle violation was observed. He said none of them were charged, instead it was an intelligence gathering operation. Some of the men were apprehensive in speaking with police while others were calm when questioned, he said.
The customers came from throughout southwest Fairfield County, Walsh said. He said customers were aware of the spa through word of mouth or through postings on Craigslist.
"We are working closely with the Board of Health to examine the permitting of the individual (employees) who work there and the overall permit," he said.
Li was held for arraignment Thursday on $20,000 bond.
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