PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – The owner of a Pembroke Pines salon where an accused fake nurse worked out of said she was surprised by allegations that 42-year-old Jenny Reyes-Leon misrepresented herself and performed procedures without being properly licensed.
According to police, Reyes-Leon “provided post-operative lymphatic massages, stitch removal, and wound care to the adult victim without being licensed to provide these services.”
The alleged victim had gotten a tummy tuck in Colombia, police said.
At the time, Reyes-Leon worked at the Couture Salon & Spa, at 17772 SW Second St., and had a non-medical facial specialist license, authorities said.
“It’s very difficult for us as a business,” Maria Petru, the salon’s owner, said.
Petru said Reyes-Leon had been employed at the salon for about six years, renting a room in the salon for facials. Petru said she had no idea what was going on.
“She has her own room. What she does is apart from us, but I really appreciate her,” Petru said. “She’s a nice lady. She’s sweet with the clients and I don’t know what happened really. It’s something that she has to fix.”
According to an arrest form, the victim told police that her stitches weren’t able to be removed in Colombia, so she was referred to Reyes-Leon.
The arrest form states Reyes-Leon said she would give the victim 10 massages at $60 each for a total of $600 and that she wanted to be paid in cash and would provide the victim with a receipt.
The report states that once Reyes-Leon removed the stitches after the victim’s fourth or fifth treatment, she was in pain and went to the hospital.
The victim continued to see Reyes-Leon following the hospital visit but grew suspicious of her, police said. She told police that Reyes-Leon asked her to sign an agreement clearing her name of any damages and admitted to her that she was unlicensed.
Police said Reyes-Leon was taken into custody on Friday and booked into the Broward County Main Jail.
She faces one felony charge of practicing massage without a license, one felony charge of practicing advanced nursing without a license, and one count of misrepresenting self as a licensed masseuse.
Pembroke Pines police encourage anyone looking for any type of medical services to ensure they’re performed by a properly licensed individual at a properly-licensed facility.