PORT ST. LUCIE – A woman allegedly offering illegal body piercing services through the business name of “The Piercing Fairy” was arrested on Sept. 2 on charges of operating the business without an appropriate license.
Mekhila J. Castle, 26, of the 300 block of SW Hollyhock Drive, Port St. Lucie faces charges of owning or operating a body pierce salon without a license; unlawful use of two-way communications device; and two counts of felony battery after being arrested by Port St. Lucie Police.
On May 12, police got information by the state Department of Health that said that Castle was running “The Piercing Fairy” business without an appropriate license, according to an arrest affidavit. The Department of Health had acquired a temporary injunction on Feb. 20 against Castle to prohibit her from performing body piercings at a business, home or by mobile operation, according to the arrest affidavit.
Castle previously was given a “cease-and-desist” letter by the health department at her home, but Castle allegedly continued to perform body piercings and continued to advertise her business on social media, according to the arrest affidavit.
Port St. Lucie Police obtained records – pictures of clients and their piercings – showing that Castle allegedly continued to perform body piercings on clients through her business, The Piercing Fairy, in February, March and April.
A woman who went to The Piercing Fairy at the 1000 block of Southwest Eastaugh Avenue, Port St. Lucie – an address in a residential area – on April 20 told Port St. Lucie Police that she received two piercings which were supposed to be in her lower back, but instead were installed with dermal jewelry below her pant line in the upper buttocks area, causing her “significant pain,” according to the arrest affidavit.
The woman told police that there was no sterilization done and no personal protective equipment was used during the procedures, according to the arrest affidavit. The woman did pay Castle $80 total for the two piercings and also gave Castle a $20 tip, according to the arrest affidavit.
The piercings caused the woman such pain that she needed to go to another establishment in Fort Pierce to have the jewelry removed, according to the arrest affidavit.
Based on the records Port St. Lucie Police received showing that Castle continued to advertise and operate the business after being told to “cease-and-desist” by the state health department and the complaint filed by the customer, Port St. Lucie Police was able to obtain an arrest warrant on Aug. 21 for Castle, according to the arrest affidavit.
Castle posted a $35,000 bond on Sept. 3 and was released from the St. Lucie County Jail, a jail spokesperson confirmed.