Undercover officers arrest 2 women for running home salons during quarantine

by **Ponee** Tue Apr 28, 2020 1:43 pm

Two women in Texas have been arrested by undercover police after offering beauty services at home and violating lockdown measures.

Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia, 31, and Brenda Stephanie Mata, 20, are alleged to have been running treatments despite strict stay-at-home orders.

Local police said they launched investigations after receiving anonymous tips from the Laredo Police Department app.

They allege that the women targeted customers on social media.

Undercover officers arrest 2 women for running home salons during quarantine 27694026-8260193-image-a-6_1587975505861

Undercover officers arrest 2 women for running home salons during quarantine 27694026-8260193-image-a-6_1587975505861

Police said she 'admitted to running a nail salon inside her residence and promoting the business on social media, going against the mayoral decree currently in place'

Castro-Garcia was arrested in in an apartment block on Harding Street after she met with an undercover officer posing as a customer needing a nail service.

Police said she 'admitted to running a nail salon inside her residence and promoting the business on social media, going against the mayoral decree currently in place'.

Mata, 20, was arrested in a block on Hubner Street after allegedly agreeing to provide an eyelash service inside her home for an undercover officer.

'Both of the violators independently solicited customers via social media. On both cases, an undercover officer working on the COVID-19 task force enforcement detail made contact with each solicitor to set up an appointment for a cosmetic, beauty service that is prohibited under the emergency ordinance,' police said in a statement.

Both women were taken to Webb County Jail and each has been charged with violation of an emergency management plan, a Class B misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to 180 days in jail, a $2,000 fine or both, The Laredo Times reported.

'We remind the community that there is an emergency management plan in place in order to control the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus. Laredo police officers continue to address violations of the order with enforcement,' the department said.

Undercover officers arrest 2 women for running home salons during quarantine 27693990-8260193-image-m-7_1587975510373

Undercover officers arrest 2 women for running home salons during quarantine 27693990-8260193-image-m-7_1587975510373

Mata, aged 20 and pictured above, was arrested in a block on Hubner Street after allegedly agreeing to provide an eyelash service inside her home for an undercover officer

There have been close to 24,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across Texas and more than 600 deaths.
While Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a state of disaster proclamation on March 13 2020, earlier this month he announced a series of orders intended to restart the state economy - though this excludes salons and dine-in restaurant services.

More than 1.3 million people have filed for unemployment in Texas since mid-March and joblessness has skyrocketed nationwide due to coronavirus-related business shutdowns.

Just days after the Laredo arrests were made a Texas mayor was forced to apologize for breaking her own lockdown rules to get her nails done at a local salon.

Beaumont mayor Becky Ames was pictured wearing a mask with her hand soaking in acetone at The Nail Bar on Tuesday.

She said: 'I should never have entered the salon last Tuesday. I did not intend to take personal privilege while asking others to sacrifice and for that I am truly remorseful.'

The District Attorney's office said it is investigating the circumstances of her trip.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8260193/Two-Texas-women-arrested-undercover-sting-offering-beauty-salon-services-home.html