Belleville Police are searching for 49-year-old Fort Lee resident Tatiana Serras, the owner of a local business that was allegedly operating as a front for a house of prostitution, Belleville Deputy Chief Mark Minichini told Patch Friday. Minichini said that Serras, the suspected madame, was charged with maintaining a house of prostitution and promoting prostitution.

According to Minichini, Belleville police arrested two women on Thursday who were employed at a local business that was allegedly operating as a front for a house of prostitution. Residents living near Skin Care, 270 Washington Avenue in Belleville had complained for months about illegal activities there, Minichini said. Police conducted an investigation and sent in an undercover officer to make an appointment at the business, which was nominally operated as a provider of skin care treatment, Minichini said.

After the undercover officer was propositioned, police arrested Ksenia Pachtchenko, 30, of Queens, and 33-year-old Oksana Boychuk of Brooklyn. Both were charged with prostitution. 

Serras was at large as of Friday afternoon and may have fled the country, Minichini said. 

The area around the Belleville business is home to several families, Minichini noted, adding that the department successfully addressed a “quality of life issue.”

“We’re proud of the work our detectives did to solve this and happy to assist the residents there, including the families with children,” he said.