2 men charged in armed robbery spree of Los Angeles and Orange County massage parlors

Two men accused of committing more than a dozen armed robberies at various Los Angeles and Orange County massage parlors were charged Tuesday, following their arrest last week. They are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

The defendants, 28-year-old Andy Cuellar from Hawthorne and 27-year-old Arturo Morales from Downey, were arrested the evening of Feb. 16 after allegedly committing an armed robbery at Lucky Health Therapy, a Torrance massage parlor. Police traced a getaway vehicle, described as a black Jeep Grand Cherokee registered to Cuellar’s mother, to a gas station less than two miles away from the robbery, according to an affidavit.

Cuellar and Morales reportedly were seen standing at the back of the Jeep, rummaging through the stolen items before fleeing on foot once law enforcement arrived. After being detained, Morales was found with roughly $4,000 in cash on his person and Cuellar was found to have clothing identified in previous massage parlor robberies, including a blue Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

Following the arrest, police found a .38 caliber firearm during a search of Jeep, which previously had been reported stolen in 2018, officials said. Authorities have accused the two defendants of committing at least a dozen other armed robberies, some involving massage parlors between Jan. 12 to Jan. 29 in cities including Santa Ana, Orange, and Redondo Beach.

Cuellar and Morales are being charged with interference with commerce by robbery, as well as using a firearm during a crime of violence. They could face a maximum sentence of 20 years to life in prison if convicted on all charges.