Newly-released video shows what authorities described as an illegal dentistry office inside a west Phoenix apartment.
The undercover video shows the suspect, Elda Graciela Margez De Zamora, leaning over a woman in a back bedroom of the apartment near 55th Avenue and McDowell Road.
Floor lamps were shining onto the bed as dental tools and devices sat next to Margez De Zamora, who has been charged with two felonies including practicing dentistry without a license.
The suspect could not be reached for comment.
She told authorities she would return to Mexico if she were released from custody, court documents said.
A $20,000 cash bond was posted on her behalf, but a notice said an immigration hold prevented her release. It was unclear Monday night whether or not she was still in custody.
A woman who identified herself as a patient to police said that the suspect, known as “Mama Elda,” only did orthodontic work. A first visit and braces installation cost $500, while subsequent visits cost $100, according to what patients told authorities.
Braces from a licensed office can cost in excess of $5,000, according to online reports.
