CARLSBAD, Calif – On April 1, at 12:17 p.m., the City of Carlsbad Police Department received a call from a woman stating that 30 minutes prior to calling she had been sexually assaulted by a male masseur at the Grotto Spa, located at 2623 Gateway Rd, Suite #102, in Carlsbad.
Officers went to the spa to investigate and arrested the male suspect, 50-year-old Yalong Liu, for the reported sexual assault. Officers also determined that Liu had a felony sexual assault warrant for his arrest out of Texas.
Officers booked Liu into the Vista Detention facility for the local sexual assault charge and the felony warrant.
Since Liu’s arrest, the Police Department has received additional similar reports of sexual assault that occurred at the same Grotto Spa. The Grotto Spa is doing business as King Spa. There are other spas in the area with similar names, but per local business license records, they are not related.
Based on these additional cases, investigators believe that there could be more than one suspect and there could be additional victims. Anyone who was a victim of a sexual assault at the Grotto Spa, the King Spa, or who know anything about a sexual assault that occurred at this location is asked to call Detective Dzung Luc at 442-339-2173 or email at dzung.luc@carlsbadca.gov.
The investigation into these assaults is active and ongoing.
For more information
Sergeant James Willis, 442-339-5679 or james.willis@carlsbadca.gov
