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Stolen massages: Therapists say man running scheme throughout Texas

Two massage therapists say they were targeted by the same man who came in for services and never paid the bill.

SAN ANTONIO — A massage therapist in San Antonio is out $125 after she said a customer came in for a massage and left without paying for the service.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said it happened two weeks ago.

The man contacted her through Facebook. She vetted him over the phone and in-person before she agreed to massage him.

"In two minutes, he was out like a light," she said. "He slept through the whole session. Did not talk one bit. It was odd."

She said when his session was over, the man got dressed. She said he pat his back pockets, said he was going to get his checkbook out of his car, and then never came back.

"This was an unusual day, an unusual person, something about it was just off so I went outside and got his license plate while he was getting ready to leave the massage room," she said. "It's the second time in 20 years that I've been in practice that someone has not paid."

The woman reported the incident to the San Antonio Police Department. SAPD confirmed officers responded to her home for a theft of service, but police couldn't give out more details at this time.

Hayley Cline is a massage therapist in Austin. She said the same man left her businesses without paying on Wednesday.

"He had a little bit of cash which he did pay me, but he owed me 175 dollars," Cline said.

Cline said she watched him dig around his car for more money. Then, according to Cline, the man told her he would have to stop by the bank.

"I was like, 'I really don't trust that you're telling me the truth'," Cline said. "He was just like, 'I'll be right back, I'll be right back!' I kind of figured what was happening."

About 15 minutes later, Cline said he called her to tell her he arrived at the bank.

"He even said he dropped the money off in my mailbox," Cline said. "When he didn't."

Cline said she's filing a report with the Austin Police Department.

Both women shared their experiences on Facebook in groups that connect them with other massage therapists. They said people started commenting on their posts saying they had also been contacted by the same man.

KENS 5 will not share the name and description of this man until it is shared publicly by police.

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