Staff photo / Bob Coupland A group of residents from Hubbard city and Hubbard Township gathered Monday evening outside the Hubbard city administration building holding signs to raise awareness of what officials can do to prevent prostitution and human trafficking in the community. From left are Diane Dittman of Hubbard Township, Paula Stanish of Hubbard city and Diana Edwards of Hubbard Township holding signs voicing their concerns and also thanking law enforcement for what they have done to help combat the problems.

HUBBARD — A group of about 20 Hubbard city and township residents gathered outside the city administration building Monday evening holding signs and lighting candles to draw attention to the fight to keep prostitution and similar problems out of the communities.

The group met next to the Hubbard city administration building to be seen by people driving by and others entering and exiting the parking lot.

Some vehicles passing by had drivers honking the horns and waving.

Safety Director Sean Rentz said on Friday that law enforcement raided the 3C Foot Spa off Youngstown Hubbard Road and gathered evidence of prostitution taking place there.

Diana Edwards of Hubbard Township and Paula Stanish of Hubbard city said they are concerned about more than just a massage parlor being raided, but also keeping such issues as human trafficking out of the community.

“We are here to stand together as a community and bring to light the fact that no town is immune to prostitution and trafficking,” Stanish said.

Edwards, who was holding a sign “Prostitution is Illegal, Keep it out of our Community,” said she wants to know what steps are being taken and what plan will be in place by local leaders “to ensure someone else does not come into our community doing the same thing.”

“We do not want this to happen again,” Stanish said.

She was referring to Friday’s raid in which Furong Li, 55, of Flushing, New York, was arrested and charged with solicitation, promoting prostitution and practicing medicine without a license, according to a news release from the Hubbard City Police Department.

The warrant, served at the 3C Foot Spa on Youngstown Hubbard Road by city police in collaboration with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, resulted in officers recovering cellphones, computers, ledgers and cash.

The massage spa, located inside a building owned by Trumbull County Commissioner and former Hubbard Township Trustee Rick Hernandez, also was the focus of an August 2024 search warrant in collaboration with the task force. The August 2024 warrant came on the heels of a February 2023 investigation initiated by the city’s police department in which evidence of commercial sex trafficking was found and led to their request for assistance from the task force.

Li remains at the Trumbull County jail on a $28,000 bond and is due in Girard Municipal Court Wednesday, according to jail records.

Edwards asked what local leaders will do to protect the community.

Edwards and Stanish thanked the local police, Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office and Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force for all they have done.

“Our police are doing the best they can with the resources they have. There have been problems at the truck stops and in other places. We do not want this in our community,” Edwards said.

Hubbard Township Trustee Jason Tedrow said he wants to keep human trafficking out of the local communities, noting police are keeping an eye on what happens at the truck stops.

He said trustees are working on hiring a new police chief.

“There are concerns of human trafficking and people coming from across the (Pennsylvania and New York) border,” Tedrow said.

Jennifer Roth of Hubbard Township said she and other families are concerned for the safety of their children.

“We want this to be a family-friendly community with no high crime or unregulated businesses,” Roth said.

Edwards said residents are keeping their eyes open.

About 50 people gathered inside council chambers for the city council meeting following the protest.

Stanish asked if there is an ordinance to prevent such businesses from being in the city and to prevent any such businesses from coming to the city and if they are properly licensed.

Trina Rich of Healthy Balance Massage Center said her therapeutic massage business is properly licensed.

“We are concerned that other establishments give us a bad name. Such businesses should not have been operating in our town,” she said.

Mayor Ben Kyle said licenses will need to be reviewed.

“We will look and see what other communities have done to properly investigate and make sure someone does have a state license that is current. There is research that will be done. We will work with the law director on what can be done as a city,” Kyle said.

Residents asked Rentz if Friday’s raid involved human trafficking. He said he could not comment on that because the investigation is ongoing.