A man from Queens has been detained after being accused of conducting an unlawful plastic surgery procedure that left a woman ‘braindead’ in the hospital.
Felipe Hoyos-Foronda, aged 38, was apprehended by authorities as he attempted to leave the country. He faces allegations of botching a surgery on a woman at his unlicensed clinic.
According to police reports, the illegal practice was operating on 35th Street in Astoria.
On Wednesday, April 2, court documents revealed that a 31-year-old woman visited Hoyos-Foronda’s clinic for the removal of butt implants at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 30.
Hoyos-Foronda, who later claimed to have been a doctor in Colombia, is accused of injecting the woman with lidocaine, which led to her suffering a cardiac arrest, as outlined in a complaint filed in Queens Criminal Court.
The so-called ‘doctor’ fled the scene, leaving the woman in critical condition, according to police.
The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Queens hospital while Hoyos-Foronda reportedly made an emergency services call before attempting to escape the country.
The complaint indicates that upon arrival at the hospital, the woman was intubated and showed no signs of brain activity. She also exhibited symptoms consistent with ‘lidocaine toxicity’.
The National Institutes of Health describes lidocaine toxicity as having a range of side effects from mild to life-threatening, explaining: “Excitatory signs, such as restlessness, agitation, nervousness, or paranoia, may progress to muscle twitches and seizures. Ultimately, with large overdoses, CNS depression, including unconsciousness and coma, can occur.”
When police reached the property, they spoke to the landlord, who provided an image of Hoyos-Foronda. Using the ‘doctor’s’ license plate, they tracked his movement to the Van Wyck Expressway.
Shortly after, Port Authority police captured him at JFK Airport. He was found with a ticket to Colombia.
He faced charges of second-degree assault and unauthorized practice of a profession following his arrest, according to the complaint.
Hoyos-Foronda was detained without bail during his arraignment two days later, with a court appearance scheduled for this morning.
The police have released a photo of Hoyos-Foronda and are encouraging any other potential victims to come forward.
UNILAD has reached out to the New York City Police Department for a statement.