Man jailed until trial in massage parlor attack
Judge says facts alleged in the case against Belen man are “chilling”
A Belen man who allegedly held an Albuquerque massage parlor employee at gunpoint for hours and demanded sex will remain in jail while awaiting trial on kidnapping and other charges, a judge ordered Wednesday.
Matthew Chavez, 33, also is charged with criminal sexual contact, attempted armed robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He attended a pretrial detention hearing remotely from the Metropolitan Detention Center.
“The facts alleged are chilling,” 2nd Judicial District Judge Clara Moran said Wednesday at the hearing. “This is an allegation of an extreme level of violence.” The alleged attack comes nearly a year after two Asian American women were slain during a pair of armed robberies at Albuquerque massage businesses, stoking fear among Asian-owned business owners.
In the recent attack, the employee was able to escape by pretending to faint and, when Chavez left the room, called a friend who contacted police, an Albuquerque Police Department sex crimes detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit.
The affidavit listed other details about the attack.
The employee told police through a Vietnamese-language interpreter that she was working alone Jan. 15 at the Happy Relax Massage Parlor in the 2400 block of Juan Tabo NE when Chavez entered and used a credit card to pay $66 for a massage and a $100 tip.
After he received a massage, Chavez allegedly demanded sex. The employee refused and offered to refund his $100 tip.
Chavez then allegedly retrieved a handgun from his clothing, pointed it at her chest and again demanded sex, the affidavit said. Chavez also threatened to kill her with a pair of scissors and fondled the woman, it said.
Chavez demanded money and took photos of the woman’s personal documents, the affidavit alleges.
“The ordeal lasted several hours,” prosecutors wrote in a pretrial detention motion. “Eventually, the victim pretended to faint and the defendant rushed to find water to give her. While he was away, the victim was able to call for help. When police arrived, the victim told the defendant that it was another customer and she was able to escape to their protection.”
Last year, spa owner Sihui Fang, 45, was fatally shot on Jan. 24 by suspected armed robbers inside her business, Wonderful Massage on Menaul near San Pedro NE. Jorge Rivera-Ramirez, 19, and Juan Carlos Hernandez, 20, are both scheduled for trial April 3 on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and armed robbery in her death.
And on Feb. 15, a woman of Chinese descent was found fatally shot at Canna Spa Massage near Coors and Los Volcanes NW. APD identified the victim Wednesday as 53-year-old MeiZhem Ye.
Raphael Marquez, 31, a suspect in that killing, was killed Feb. 25 by two Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies and a New Mexico State Police officer after a pursuit in Valencia County. No other suspects have been identified in the case.