Texas Mayor Breaks Own Stay-At-Home Order To Visit Nail Salon

A Texas mayor apologized after photos of her inside a local nail salon surfaced last week. Although she had apologized and explained what happened, the incident was still under official investigation.

On Tuesday (April 21), a photo of Beaumont City Mayor Becky Ames inside a nail salon surfaced online, prompting multiple complaints from citizens. Two days later, Ames released a statement, publicly apologizing for what happened.

"I promise that there was no malice intended. I should never have entered the salon last Tuesday," Ames wrote in the statement posted on the official Facebook page of the City of Beaumont. "I did not intend to take personal privilege while asking others to sacrifice and for that I am truly remorseful."

According to 12NewsNow, Ames confirmed she was at the nail salon after talking to the owner about removing an old manicure set. Although the owner said that she would leave out acetone for her, she set it up inside and the mayor was "in and out in 10 minutes." At the time, only Ames and the owner were at the nail salon, it was dark, and the salon's back door was open.

According to the owner, surveillance footage can confirm the mayor's explanation, and Ames even sent photos of her nails to 12NewsNow to show that she only had a previous manicure removed and did not have her nails done.

Despite the apology, the Texas Department of Licensing Regulation (TDLR) still received at least three formal complaints, and now both TDLR and Jefferson County District Attorney's Office were conducting an investigation on the matter.

"We are reviewing to determine if there was a violation," Jefferson County District Attorney Bob Wortham told 12NewsNow last Friday (April 24).

If the assigned investigator found there was an actual violation of Texas Gov. Greg Abott’s order to close all non-essential businesses, the license holder will be sent a "notice of alleged violation" and may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.

Ames had also implemented a similar order as well as a "Stay Home Work Safe" order last March 27.

As of April 26, the Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 24,631 COVID-19 cases and 648 fatalities.