AUBURN-

Shock from local merchants in downtown Auburn, following the arrests of a couple, who own Asian Massage Therapy, for alleged prostitution.

Owners Julie Feng and Phillip Hudson were booked for pimping and pandering. Feng also faces a charge for human trafficking, which investigators say they uncovered within the last three weeks of this case, that ended with Wednesday’s arrests.

The pair also owns a massage business in Nevada City. Both are now permanently closed.

Marilyn Welz has been in business downtown for 37 years. She says word spread like wildfire since the arrests of Feng and Hudson.

“The story’s pretty wild. I was having my nails done this morning, and everybody in the nail salon knew about it,” Welz said.

Six alleged human trafficking victims were rescued at the scene, but they face an uncertain future.

“Some of the people who were involved in this, both the victims and the suspect at the time, we knew they either spoke Mandarin or Cantonese,” Auburn Police Chief John Rufficon said. “Some are really worried about what’s going to happen to them now.”

The six victims, face the prospect of deportation, Rufficon added.