Stockton, CA — Justin Yermouth, 22, thought he’d treat his fiance, Jennifer Taylia, 20, to a nice relaxing facial after she finished her shift at Thai Me Up Wednesday afternoon. But what had started out as a loving gesture turned into a hair-raising affair for the young bride to be.
Justin dropped Jennifer off at Feel Good Facials & Spa on the city’s east side, and something immediately didn’t feel right.
“It was just a strange vibe, ya know,” said Taylia, “the people working there were kinda skeezy and there was a foul, like, crusty almond smell to the place.”
Justin had booked Jenny’s facial with Kareem Longley, the first name that caught his eye after a quick Google search. “He seemed like a reputable enough esthetician,” Justin said, “man, was I wrong.”
The “spa” happened to be located inside someone’s residence, in a seedy part of town. “Next time I’ll be sure to read some Yelp reviews,” he said.
“The first thing he [Longley] said was that I should upgrade and add a massage,” Taylia recalled, almost in tears. “He was adamant and wouldn’t let it go. He finally dropped it when I threatened to leave.”
Jenny says everything about the experience was different from what she is typically used to. “At the mall, the girls will talk with you about your skin needs, maybe play some soothing music. This guy couldn’t care less about my skin type. All he wanted to know was if I liked Molly Hatchet.”
“He told me he was gonna give me the mother of all facials,” Jenny cried. “He said he was very excited and I was his first appointment that day, which I found odd considering it was after four o’clock in the afternoon.”
“He seemed like he had no idea what he was doing. But that didn’t stop him from bragging on and on about the quality of the proteins and vitamins he was splashing all over my face,” she said.
When it was finally over, Mrs. Taylia paid the $120 bill and bolted out the door, texting her fiance to come quick.
The trauma of that horrifying ordeal was nothing compared to what awaited Jenny the next morning.
“Her skin had broken out in big brown blotches,” Justin said. “She was mad as hell at me for bringing her there and I don’t blame her. It’s going to take months of intense treatments to get her face back to normal. The wedding is now postponed indefinitely.”
Justin and Jennifer later found out that “Kareem Longley” is just one of many aliases for Jacques Hoff, a known petty criminal currently being sought by authorities on fraud charges. He is also not a licensed esthetician.
In retrospect, Jenny agrees she should have texted Justin to come rescue her. “It’s just that, I dunno, I’m not the type of person to complain or criticize people who are terrible at their jobs. I’m the same way at restaurants. I’ll eat an under-cooked meal and tell the waitress everything was delicious.”
This time, Taylia is not taking it laying down.
“I hope they catch him soon, and when they do, I’m gonna sue the pants off that scum bag.”
