Methuen, YWCA to open domestic violence resource office

The City of Methuen and YWCA Northeastern Massachusetts announced a new Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services office at 5 Wallace St., a property the release says was formerly used in an alleged human trafficking operation. The announcement was posted Sept. 24.

According to the announcement, the renovated space will serve as office space for sexual assault and domestic violence advocates, as a location for victims of sex crimes, domestic violence and human trafficking to meet with counselors and advocates, and as a site for workshops for survivors. The facility required extensive cleanup to address code violations, the announcement said.

The opening was planned for Friday, Oct. 2, with a ribbon cutting scheduled for 1 p.m. Community members and the media were invited to attend.

Maricelis Ortiz, CEO of the YWCA Northeastern Massachusetts, said in the announcement, "This community has an opportunity to look at this location differently. We cannot change what happened here in the past. But we can absolutely change what happens here next. This is about more than opening an office, we are changing what this address means. A place that was once associated with exploitation is becoming a place of safety, advocacy, healing and hope."

Nicole Sammartino, the YWCA's director of advancement, said in the announcement, "We will be using this space to empower women and to give them their best chance at a new chapter in life that doesn't involve violence or sexual exploitation."

The announcement notes that Methuen Police conducted undercover operations as part of a monthslong investigation into the former tenants of 5 Wallace St., which ended with the company's owner facing human trafficking and prostitution charges last year. The city later closed several other local massage parlors and spas for code violations and formed the Methuen Human Trafficking Task Force, which the announcement says remains active and continues to inspect and investigate other facilities as they open or reopen.

Mayor D.J. Beauregard said in the announcement, "When we created the Methuen Human Trafficking Task Force, I promised that we would use every tool available to combat human trafficking in our city and support its survivors. Human trafficking remains an ongoing threat here and in communities across America, and our work is far from finished. But today, one important part of this story has come full circle."

Source: Town of Methuen announcement, November 2, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement. It was corrected where it differed.