Police in Florida arrested a 50-year-old woman for allegedly running an illegal “Med Spa” out of her shed, resulting in one of her “patients” suffering facial paralysis from a botched Botox procedure.
Rosa Maria Mena is facing a slew of charges, including three counts of aggravated battery causing bodily harm and practicing medicine without an active license, two counts of fraud, and one count of using a two-way communication device to commit a felony.
According to a Facebook post by the Port St. Lucie Police Department, a victim contacted the agency in May to report facial paralysis as a result of one of Mena’s procedures.
The victim confronted Mena after the problems persisted, and the suspect allegedly asked her to return to her “spa.” Mena injected her face again, this time with vitamins, to “reverse” the effects, police said. The woman’s facial paralysis persisted, and Mena refunded the $325 cost of the Botox, according to police.
Fed up, the victim demanded Mena produce her medical license, which she was unable to do, according to police. Instead, she showed her a “censored/altered” Phlebotomy certificate, according to police. According to police, the victim contacted the agency in charge of issuing licenses and discovered that they had expired the previous year.
“Mena attempted to put the victim’s mind at ease by telling her she was a doctor from the Dominican Republic, dismissing her concerns,” the message on Facebook read.
Detectives executed a search warrant at Mena’s residence in the 5000 block of Northwest Coosa Drive. They discovered “an overwhelming amount of evidence to support the victim’s allegations,” officers wrote.
According to cops, there were numerous medical devices present, including beds, medications, vials, laser hair removal treatment, Botox, and injectable filler devices.
Port St. Lucie police officers offered the following advice to patients seeking such care.
“We want to remind the public to research the facility and individual prior to performing procedures,” the law enforcement organization wrote. Additionally, injectable procedures such as Botox must be performed by a licensed professional. Your safety is our top priority!”
Mena was arrested on Wednesday and is currently in the St. Lucie County Jail on a $95,000 bond.