Various Valley law enforcement agencies are raiding a building owned by a Hubbard Township Trustee and candidate for Trumbull County Commissioner.

Agents are raiding the building that houses 3C Foot Spa on Youngstown-Hubbard Road, which is owned by Hubbard Township Trustee and Republican candidate for Trumbull County Commissioner, Rick Hernandez.

Our 21 News crews on scene observed agents searching the backyard area of the building as well as the inside. Yellow tape has been placed around the parking lot.

Agents from the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, the Hubbard Police Department and other law enforcement agencies are investigating.

21 News crews at the scene observed agents taking items from the building and putting them in a vehicle.

According to a press release from Hubbard PD, the investigation into the building has been going on since February of 2023. This investigation revealed evidence of commercial sex trafficking.

"Human trafficking is a heinous crime that affects the most vulnerable in our society. Our department is dedicated to protecting these victims and bringing their perpetrators to justice," said Hubbard Police Chief Bob Thompson. 

Hubbard Police's full statement can be read below.

Additionally, another search is going on at Healthy Massage on Market Street in Beaver Township. Beaver Township Police Chief Eric Dattilo told 21 News this raid is in connection with a months-long search with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.

Chief Dattilo says the raid stemmed from "several complaints of prostitution." 

 

At the same time, a third massage parlor on Belmont Avenue in Youngstown was hit.

Our crews at this scene observed a sign on the door informing the building owners they did not have the proper permits to operate a massage parlor.

Additionally, a police report from the Youngstown Police Department states an undercover agent went into the building and was solicited by a woman asking for money in exchange for sex acts.

That's when police announced their presence for a search warrant. Police say no one opened the door, so officers forced entry and found and detained a woman identified as 49-year-old Yuli Guo (pictured below).

Guo was charged with one misdemeanor count of soliciting. She was booked into the Mahoning County Jail but has since been released. She's set to be arraigned Wednesday, August 7 at 10:00 a.m.

At this time, it is unknown if any of these scenes are connected.

 

Hubbard Police say crimes took place, but so far, no one is facing charges and they have no word on any potential victims.

"If there are charges filed and if there is something that is going on there, that I was unaware of and as a landlord, I will have them extracted from that building. As a business owner, I will not allow that in my community," Hernandez said.

"Until now, until it was brought to my attention, I had no clue that anything could have been going on other than 'he said, she said' type of a thing," he added.

Hernandez also tells 21 News he reached out to authorities in Cleveland to see if they were investigating the foot spa earlier this year. He was referred to human trafficking officials in Youngstown. He says he called the Youngstown branch, but did not receive any calls back.

Another business owner tells 21 News they saw young Asian women often dropped off at the business by a van.

At the same time, raids at massage businesses on Belmont Avenue and at Healthy Massage in Beaver Township.

It's not yet know if the businesses are connected.