Alleged call girl ring broken up in upscale Pasadena, California

Think of Pasadena, California, and the Rose parade and game, quaint shopping areas and vintage, old-money homes usually come to mind, not prostitution rings operating out of upscale luxury apartments.

Following a two-year investigation, Li Chan, 32, and her husband Thanh Ly, 35, were arrested and booked on charges of pimping and pandering, Pasadena police said. Police said the couple is accused of advertising massages, escorts and erotic services over Web sites, and are alleged to have used a referral system through established customers to solicit new ones. Pasadena Police Lt. Tom Pederson, said:

"The residents, I'm quite sure, were not aware this was going on," Pederson said.

He added that for clients to gain access to the Trio Apartments where the prostitution operation was allegedly run from, visitors had to enter a security code, which they allege the couple gave their patrons after financial agreements were reached. Pederson said the alleged illicit activities amounted to a multi-million-dollar business and the suspects charged about $200 an hour for various services. After serving search warrants, officials seized approximately $10,000 in cash from the apartments, more than $20,000 in jewelry and three luxury cars from the pair's nearby residence in Temple City, east of Pasadena. Ly and Chen pleaded not guilty and will be arraigned on Jan. 25 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Pederson said. Also arrested on suspicion of prostitution were four women between the ages of 21 and 40, and all were released after being given misdemeanor citations, Pederson said.

"Up to 25 different women were shuffled through these apartment complexes," Pederson said.

He added that although dozens of women are believed to have been involved in the prostitution ring, only one or two would be in the same apartment at any given time.

"Prostitution is not a victimless crime as some would argue. It negatively impacts the quality of life and very fabric of the community," Police Chief Chris Vicino said in a written statement.