A 50-year-old Napa man is behind bars after two women separately reported being sexually assaulted during massage appointments at the same Jefferson Street business over the course of a weekend. Napa police arrested Liangfu Zheng on suspicion of rape, assault with intent to commit rape, and sexual battery following the second report, which came in just about 18 hours after the first.
According to The Napa Valley Register, officers received a telephone report of a rape at about 9:26 p.m. on Saturday. The caller said she had visited Herbal Health Massage at 2221 Jefferson St. for a massage, and police say a male masseuse sexually assaulted her during the appointment; she reportedly pushed the suspect away before contacting police herself.
The following afternoon, at about 3:15 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the same business for another assault report, this one involving a second woman who allegedly was touched inappropriately during a massage by a male masseuse. Patrol officers and members of the Napa Police Investigations Unit located Liangfu Zheng at the business, and the outlet's report notes that the suspect fled the massage room before he was found. Both women identified Zheng as the suspect, per the same account.
Charges Carry Years in State Prison
Zheng was booked into Napa County Jail on suspicion of rape of a person unconscious of the nature of the act, assault with intent to commit rape, and sexual battery of an unconscious person. Rape of an unconscious person under California Penal Code Section 261(a)(4) is a felony punishable by three, six, or eight years in state prison and may require sex offender registration for 20 years or life depending on the case, according to Shouse Law Group.
Assault with intent to commit rape under Penal Code Section 220 is a felony, as outlined by the Hedding Law Firm. Separately, under Penal Code Section 243.4(c), touching an intimate part of an unconscious person while fraudulently representing that the touching serves a professional purpose constitutes sexual battery, punishable as a felony or misdemeanor, per Justia Law.
California law defines being “unconscious of the nature of the act” to include situations where a victim is unaware, asleep, or fraudulently led to believe that non-consensual touching is part of a legitimate professional service, according to Shouse Law Group. In sexual battery prosecutions involving professional bodywork, prosecutors must also establish non-consensual touching of an intimate part — legally defined as genitalia, buttocks, or female breasts — for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification, or abuse, as explained by Eisner Gorin LLP.
Suspect Remained Jailed as Investigation Continues
Zheng remained in custody at Napa County Jail on Monday afternoon with bail set at $250,000, the Register reported. Napa police continued their investigation into Monday and said they did not immediately share further details about the assaults. Investigators asked anyone with information to contact Detective Tyler Olson at [email protected].
Herbal Health Massage offers seven-day-a-week services including Swedish, deep tissue, and foot reflexology treatments, according to the business's own website. It was not immediately clear from available reporting whether Zheng held an active certification through the California Massage Therapy Council or a local city permit to practice.
CAMTC's Role in Certification and Complaints
The California Massage Therapy Act, under Business and Professions Code Sections 4600–4621, authorizes the California Massage Therapy Council to grant voluntary statewide certifications that are subject to educational and background criteria, according to the California Massage Therapy Council. The council describes a process for complaints and retains discretion in responding to them.
The case follows a similar allegation elsewhere in Napa County. In December 2023, a civil lawsuit was filed against a Calistoga resort after a guest reported being sexually assaulted by a spa masseuse there, according to Winer, Burritt & Scott, LLP, a case that had already put local scrutiny on spa employee safety protocols in the region. Separately, the Napa Valley Register reported that rape was the only category revised, with its 2024 figure lowered from 24 to 9.
It remains unknown whether additional victims may come forward as the investigation continues. Police have not shared whether further charges are anticipated beyond the three counts Zheng currently faces.
