WATERTOWN, Mass. — The owner of one of six spas ordered to shut down in Watertown is defending her business following a citywide crackdown.
Watertown health officials said the businesses failed city inspections under a new ordinance that aims to protect legitimate businesses and potential victims of human trafficking.
The owner of Sunrise Spa, located at 409 Mt. Auburn Street, told Boston 25 News she’s still confused about why the feds, local police, and the health department showed up to her business.
The Watertown Health Department said an inspection revealed evidence of people living or sleeping on the premises, no certificate of occupancy, and missing administrative documentation.
“We’ll be open soon,” said the owner, who declined to give her name. “We don’t do anything illegal, so I don’t worry about this.”
Health officials said evidence of prohibited sexual activity was found at some of the other businesses, including Health Hall, located at 2 Bigelow Ave, and Xiangrikui Inc. dba 77 Spa (Sunflower Spa), located at 32 Mt. Auburn Street.
“It’s just troubling what’s going on in our neighborhood,” said Watertown resident Milana Damianova. “Watertown is not the quiet, boring place it used to be.”
The other businesses that didn’t pass inspections are:
- Gold Finger Foot Spa - 21 Williams Street
- Lucky Spa – 498 Pleasant Street
- Yuan Tai Spa – 56 North Beacon Street
The Watertown Health Department said the closed businesses are not allowed to reopen until they meet the required rules and regulations.
Health officials are reviewing a recommendation to revoke the licenses of two of the spas that were shut down.
No arrests have been made at this time.
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