La Marque Mayor Keith Bell was arrested Friday morning on a warrant charging him with indecent exposure, according to booking records, an abrupt legal turn for a man who has spent nearly two decades as one of the Galveston County city's most visible public figures. Bell was taken into custody by the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office at around 11 a.m., outside his own county, and booked into the Brazoria County Detention Center to await a magistrate bond hearing.
The arrest was first reported by ABC13 Houston, which cited booking records showing Bell faces the charge in connection with an alleged incident in Brazoria County. The station said its reporters reached out to the City of La Marque for comment but had not received a response as of publication, and that it was continuing to investigate the specific nature of the allegations that led to Bell's arrest. Exact details of the underlying incident, including where and when it allegedly occurred, remain unclear.
Indecent exposure is classified in Texas as a Class B misdemeanor for a first offense, carrying a maximum penalty of 180 days in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000, according to FindLaw. State lawmakers toughened penalties for repeat offenders under House Bill 1730, which took effect in September 2023: a second conviction becomes a Class A misdemeanor, and two or more prior convictions can be charged as a state jail felony, per the Texas Legislature. It is not yet known whether Bell has any prior record on this type of charge.
A Fixture of La Marque Politics for Nearly Two Decades
Bell's arrest lands hard in a city that has known him for a long time in multiple roles. He served La Marque for 27 years as a firefighter and union leader before spending 17 years on the city council, according to Bay Area Entertainer. He stepped in as Mayor Pro Tem after former Mayor Bobby Hocking retired, was sworn in as mayor in January 2021, and was formally elected to the seat that May, per the city's own staff directory. Bell also serves as a pastor at Resonate Church in La Marque, giving him a dual public profile as both elected leader and religious figure in the community of roughly 20,700 residents situated along Interstate 45 between Houston and Galveston.
This is not the first time Bell's tenure has drawn controversy. In late 2022, he survived a recall election pushed by a local resident who accused him of corruption and a lack of transparency — allegations Bell denied at the time, characterizing them as political retaliation tied to administrative changes at city hall, as reported by Click2Houston.
City Government Faces Fresh Turbulence
Bell's arrest adds to a run of legal trouble among La Marque's top officials in recent years. Former City Manager Joshua Pritchett was arrested in July 2025 on felony arson and fraud charges following a police pursuit, a case Hoodline previously reported. Just five months ago, Bell himself stood before cameras to swear in new Police Chief Byron Frankland and told the public that crime in La Marque had been declining for five years.
Under La Marque's council-manager charter, legislative authority rests with the mayor and city council, while daily city operations and services are run by an appointed city manager — a structure that allows municipal business to continue even as an elected official faces criminal proceedings. Bell's case will move through the magistrate court system following his bond hearing, and it remains unclear when he might next appear in court or whether he intends to respond publicly to the charge.
