ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County massage therapist who was arrested amid accusations from multiple women in 2022 is now facing a lawsuit in addition to his criminal charges.
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However, it’s not certain he’ll ever face any consequences after he skipped one of his hearings and fled the country after his arrest.
Andy Manrique Yepez was first charged when two women came forward on consecutive days, saying Yepez touched them underneath their towels.
He was released on a $2,500 bond.
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In March 2023, Yepez’s bond was revoked – but by then, he was long gone. His Instagram account showed him posing with friends and family members overseas, ultimately settling in the northern Venezuelan city of Maracaibo, where he works as a hairstylist.
Venezuela does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.
An attorney for one of the alleged victims filed a $100,000 lawsuit against The Orlando Spa and Yepez this week, claiming the Spa did not check Yepez’s license, which deputies said was forged.
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“All you had to do is go to the Department of Health website and type in the license number,” James Simmons, of Simmons Law Group, said. “That is something that his owner, his employers, could have done.”
A manager at The Orlando Spa declined to comment when WFTV inquired Thursday. Yepez did not respond to a series of questions sent to his Instagram account.
Simmons said he figured Yepez would not fork over the six figures his lawsuit requested.
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However, in light of the stalled criminal charges, he said a judgement against Yepez would hang over the man’s head for the rest of his life.
“I he ever comes back to the states we would have other ways to be able to identify him and get him locked up again,” Simmons explained. “We brought him in the case to give a little bit of that accountability for our client.”
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