A Fort Worth tattoo artist was arrested on suspicion of tattooing a 16-year-old girl.
A Fort Worth tattoo artist was fired for a tattoo he created. The problem?
The girl receiving the tattoo was only 16. In Texas, it's illegal to tattoo a minor.
Simon Valentino Gasca was arrested and bonded out last week for tattooing a person younger than 18 years old, a Class B misdemeanor.
Gasca was working at Alien's Tattoo Ink on River Oaks Boulevard in December when the tattoo was drawn on the girl. Alien Garcia, the store owner, said Gasca was fired as soon as the girl's parents called a few days later.
"We can't allow anything like that at the shop," Garcia said.
Garcia said the girl came into the store with a mutual friend. She filled out a waiver form that asked for her age. Her ID was taken and photocopied with the release form.
Garcia said he noticed after police came and collected the waiver that the birthday on the paper was scratched out.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"I'm guessing whenever he went to the back, she scratched her birthday," he said.
Garcia, who has run Alien's Ink Tattoo for six years, said he has built a good reputation with his customers. He pointed to several signs in his store that show customers was voted it the best tattoo shop in Fort Worth.
Garcia said even though he was friends with Gasca, he had to fire him for breaking the law.
