UPDATED: Situated in a one-story house near the western edge of the Tempe campus and the Mill Avenue District, the 2 Doors Down hair salon looks like a peaceful refuge amidst the chaos surrounding it. Officials with the Tempe Police Department, however, said it was the site of a methamphetamine-dealing operation dangerously close to the community’s students.
“If you’re selling with close proximity to ASU, and selling in proximity to Tempe High School and Mill Avenue, and in proximity to several elementary schools … obviously, we’re very concerned,” said police spokesman Sgt. Steve Carbajal.
Officers raided the salon, located at 944 S. Mill Ave., on March 12, Carbajal said.
The owner of the salon, Tracy Flotto of Tempe, was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs for sale, he said. Flotto and her husband, who was arrested in a separate raid on their home, had been selling the methamphetamine out of both their home and the salon, he said.
Tempe Police made the arrests as a result of an investigation that began early this year, Carbajal said. The narcotics unit had been following a tip from months before, which led to the arrest of the dealers supplying Flotto with the drugs she sold out of her business, he said.
“We don’t want to get too detailed into the specifics of the investigation … [but] what I can tell you is, these two individuals actually sold [drugs] to Tempe police detectives,” Carbajal said.
Carbajal did not specify whether searches of Flotto, her husband, their home or their business turned up any drugs, but said their offer to sell to narcotics officers gave police probable cause to arrest them.
“The investigation is still ongoing, and a lot of it has to unravel before we can make any additional charges,” Carbajal said.
Mark Lilly, an employee of the neighboring Living Canvas tattoo parlor, said he saw the arrest firsthand while waiting outside the building for a client.
Lilly said he noticed something strange was happening when a van, followed by several squad cars, pulled into an adjacent parking lot.
“I thought somebody had stolen a van,” Lilly said. “Next thing I know, I see, like, SWAT guys with ski masks and rifles going into the building.”
Mark Walters, who owns Living Canvas, said he knew Flotto only in passing, and was “shocked and amused” when he heard about the arrest.
“[Flotto] was just like a normal middle-aged woman,” he said. “[She] never did much business. It just seemed like a private little hair salon.”
The salon remains open despite the legal turmoil surrounding its owner. Employees declined to comment on the situation and denied any knowledge of Flotto’s alleged involvement in the drug trade.
Reach the reporter at derek.quizon@asu.edu.
