San Jose Cops Raid MP for Semana Santa

[gdfrancx]

Agents raid supposed beauty parlor in prostitution crackdown
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Agents raided an operation which offered sexual services but was disguised as a beauty salon, said a spokeswoman Wednesday.

The “beauty salon” was in downtown San José, on Avenida 12 between calles 13 and 15 and was called Esteticá Lucy, according to the Judicial Investigation Organization. It was a massage parlor that employed numerous women who are suspected of offering their sexual services to clients, said a judicial spokeswoman. Customers would simply drive up in vehicles and ring the doorbell, said the spokeswoman.

Prostitution is not a crime in Costa Rica but pimping and running a brothel are crimes.

Agents from the Judicial Investigation Organization arrested a woman who they suspect is the administrator of the operation. The suspect, Grace Vargas Mora, 34, lived in the adjoined house with her brother, said a spokeswoman.
No one answered the doorbell Wednesday afternoon however. A young man with a bag of groceries was seen sneaking quickly into the house and shutting the door.

Most neighbors refused to comment on the house. Workers at a store across the street said they had never noticed any strange activity nor had they ever seen a sign marking the place as a beauty salon. The only signs on the place now say, “closed by the Municipal Police of San José.”

Agents also detained two more women, a 22-year-old named Cháves from Nicaragua and a woman from Colombia, they said.

Both women were handed over to immigration officials, said judicial investigators.

There are a number of such massage parlors in the downtown area. Some more luxurious ones cater to expats and tourists. They are infrequently closed, but sometimes near major religious holidays police target one or a few such operations.

Last Year for Semana Santa they busted a place around the corner from Oasis.

The place that got hit this year is over by the court buildings or about five blocks away from IDEM. It is actually one of my favorite places.

The quote from the workers is funny because the place they are talking about is the corner pupleria, and believe me everyone in this neighborhood know this place because it had been in business for at least five years.

This is just an example of how much fun Costa Rica is for Semana Santa.

 

[mitsunari]

How does a place like New Fantasy, which has no bar and no other product to sell except sex, survive? Are they paying off the cops?

Because you can go to ZB or Idem for a drink, but there's really no other reason to go to NF...

 

[watevers peeps]

I go to the New Fantasy Massage for a massage and a steam, Nada Mas. :wink:

 

[b-ball 96]

How does a place like New Fantasy, which has no bar and no other product to sell except sex, survive? Are they paying off the cops?

Because you can go to ZB or Idem for a drink, but there's really no other reason to go to NF...

Idem & ZB are the exception. Very few MP's offer anything more than a massage supposedly :shock: . Some Tico places offer a salon for haircuts, manicures, etc.. but the vast majority do not.

I would guess almost all MP's, with or without a bar, salon, etc., are paying someone off. :

 

[Crispian N]

Actually NF was closed for a while in January, 2004. At the time they had become very popular on the Internet. The supposed reason for that raid was a paperwork problem with the municipality, would would appear to be true as they did reopen.

I have never seen a business that operates as a "pension" or hotel closed. I believe Zona Blue and IDEM operate this way. The business activity of the pension is to rent rooms. The girls are renters of rooms, and there is no employment relationship between the hotel and the girls. It is also possible for a pension to have a liquor license.

I think NF also operates using a pension license, as they are located in a nice historic building. After the bust they had removed a large overhead sign for massages. However, this could have simply been because there was no permit for the sign.

Generally, I have noticed businesses that advertise MP get busted or run into legal trouble, however pensiones are left alone. However, I do know a manager of a pension who had been busted for taking the money directly from the clients, instead of clients giving it first to the girls.

 

[Smooch Bat]

However, I do know a manager of a pension who had been busted for taking the money directly from the clients, instead of clients giving it first to the girls.

Incidentally, I have noticed that on my last few trips to ZB, I have had to go up to the front cubby hole to pay the manager directly for the room. Up until about a month ago, I always paid the girl in the room.

It is intentionally the opposite at NF. You must pay the girl in the room for the service once you arrive. Once or twice I tried to pay the manager, and she has refused to accept the money saying that I must pay the girl.

Not sure which way is the "legal" way, but I would suspect paying the establishment directly would be by the book because you are renting the room from them. Or would that be considered pimping?

ME07

 

[mary s]

It is best when the girl takes the money directly from the client and then pays for a room at the front desk. I have noticed that in practice some places do not give the girl her share until it can be totaled and she leaves for the day.

Simple rule, anyone who takes money from a client on behalf of a prostitute is a Pimp. I dislike paying a Pimp. In my opinion it means that the house is asserting too much control over the girl and the client.

 

[Dude...]

As I recall the manager taking the cash from the client is what got Arte y Sauna closed up for pimping.

The nuance of who gives the cash to the establishment, client or girl, escapes me but I guess the legal types understand there is a difference.

 

[love_chocolate?]

I agree that if the 'house' takes the money from the 'client', it can be construed as pimping. All of the MPs I have been in, the chica take the money and goes and pays the 'rent' for the room. I was not aware that ZB had changed its way of paying.

As I posted on another thread, the strange thing about this bust is that Lucy's has the fewest number of chicas of any of the MPs in that area; it isvery security consious(they will not let the walking tours in if there are more than 2 guys or if only one of the chicas is not busy.

Another thing is the Beauty Salon bit. I have been in this establishment many times and there is nothing to indicate it is a beauty salon- no equipment, no hair products, no nothing found in a salon.

And yes, everyone in the neighborhood knows about it and the others in the area. When I was trying to find Sala Fama, 2 teenage chicas (in school uniforms) told me where it was, and also told me where 3 of the others were. Future employes :?: :?:

 

[(:Katie:)]

BangBang ... I believe I saw some beauty supplies in one of the rooms at Lucy's now that I think about it ... but nothing out front

 

[Sad Blonde Knight]

Now Shawn,

What were you going into the chicas purses for? Oh! wanted to borrow their makeup?? or just needed to borrow a comb after she messed your hair up! jejeje

OH! and that sweet little chica is still in love with you. Really imbarrassing plucking a chica and she is asking about another guy :roll: :evil: :wink:

 

[Tapioca Is A Pipe Bomb!]

you are right, NF, ZB Mansion have a hotel/pension "patente", that is a license to have a bussiness of some kind, you probably had seen papers hanging some where since they are supposed to have it in a visible place, so as they don't get out of his bussiness license purpose, they will not have any problem.

Now, in CR prostitution is legal, pimping is illegal, so, you pay the chica, and she pays the room, what she does in the room, is her bussiness.

We, ticos mongers, always recommends to pay the chica, it is the legal way, here in paradise.

 

[simi_krishna2003]

I am sure it works like this:

San Jose is a pretty crappy city in all honesty. Maybe it has changed since I was there 5 years or so ago, but then it was congested, stank to high heaven of pollution, and most gringos would start coughing after having been in the city for 3-4 days due to the horrible air quality.

In fact, the only reason I can think of to go there is for the hookers. Eco-tourists aren't going to "hang out" in San Jose. So that only leaves people on business, school groups going to learn Spanish, and mongers. When I was in San Jose, I saw lots and lots and lots of mongers. They were everywhere, it was so funny because it was not uncommon to see some old gringo walking around with a 20 year old chica and we'd just laugh. If all the mongers stopped going to San Jose, I think we're talking a considerable amount of cash flow in hotels, food, girls, etc. While the rest of CR can make money of Ecotourists, in SJ they are only passing through as quickly as possible.