Leon Valley spa shut down after prostitution arrest

BCSO: Used and unused condoms found

LEON VALLEY, Texas – The Leon Valley spa has been shut down amidst an ongoing investigation that has already had one employee arrested for prostitution. The arrest and the spa's business license application denial came on the same day.

A locked door and a sign forbidding entry turned away any would-be visitors to Avalon Spa Monday.

Atthaya Thaorat, 35, was charged with prostitution Wednesday. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office said used and unused condoms were found during the investigation, but did not offer any specifics on the course of the investigation.

"There were complaints about prostitution that was going on this establishment," BCSO spokeswoman Rosanne Hughes said.

Thaorat's arrest did not signal the end of it, though.

"It's an ongoing investigation," Hughes said. "So further arrests, further charges are possible."

Further business, it would seem, is not.

City of Leon Valley spokeswoman Kristie Flores said the city found out through its involvement in the investigation that Avalon Spa did not have a business license, though a "VIP Spa" used to operate in the same location.

Flores said Leon Valley Code Compliance directed the business to apply for a license and did an inspection, "But by that time, the investigation was already pending. So they were not granted the business license."

Flores said different people had applied for VIP and Avalon's business licenses. However, the Sheriff's Office said the same people were running both spas.

The Sheriff's Office said it had worked with Leon Valley police and Leon Valley Code Compliance.

In a news release about the arrest and spa closure Monday, Leon Valley Mayor Chris Riley said, "We are grateful to Bexar County and the collaborative law enforcement efforts used to rid Leon Valley of unlawful businesses and unacceptable behavior in our community." 


About the Authors:

Garrett Brnger is a reporter with KSAT 12.

David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.