A 27-year-old woman died after receiving an anti-aging injection at a holistic wellness center in the Bronx, and the unlicensed doctor who administered the treatment has been arrested, police reported on Monday.
Victim Identified as Elizabeth Baron
Elizabeth Baron was rushed unconscious and unresponsive from the Bereshit Lifestyle Center in Riverdale to New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital on Sunday, July 19, where she was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m., according to police. She resided in the luxury Skyview on the Hudson condo complex, less than two miles from the clinic.
“That was my daughter,” the victim’s grief-stricken father said by phone. “I don’t have anything to say. It’s under investigation.”
Details of the Incident
Police said Baron had gone earlier that day to the center on Riverdale Avenue near West 232nd Street, which specializes in holistic medicine and offers products “to make healthy living easy,” according to its website. She was injected with an “anti-aging therapy solution” and soon after went into medical distress, prompting the center to call for an ambulance.
“I’m so shocked,” said Paula Schapp, a neighbor in the victim’s building. “Elizabeth was a beautiful young woman. She worked in Manhattan.” Schapp added, “I would sometimes meet her when she went to the gym. We have a gym here (in the apartment complex). The last time I saw her was within the week and she was beautifully dressed. She was going to some kind of a gathering. I said, ‘Oh, you look beautiful. I love your dress.’”
Arrest of Unlicensed Doctor
Luis Rojas Cabrera, who is licensed in his native Dominican Republic but not in the United States, was charged with reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice of a profession, police said. His son, Luis Rojas Cabrera Jr., 26, told the Daily News at Bronx Criminal Court while waiting for his father’s arraignment, “He’s a good man, a good father and a good doctor. That’s why I’m so shocked.”
The city Medical Examiner will conduct an initial autopsy on Tuesday, July 21. Once her cause of death is determined, authorities could upgrade charges against the doctor.
Family Reaction and Background
Rojas Cabrera’s sister in Minnesota was shaken to learn of his arrest. “I don’t think so,” Heidi Rojas Cabrera said when asked if her brother was licensed to practice in the United States. “To the best of my knowledge, no … He was a surgeon in the Dominican Republic … He was trying to get his physician assistant license (in the U.S.).” She added, “He has always been passionate about what he does. I’m just still in shock of what happened.”
Luis Rojas Cabrera, pictured smiling on the Bereshit Lifestyle Center website, describes himself as an “M.D., Surgeon, Naturopath.” The center’s website boasts, “We have carefully chosen all of the products that we carry to make sure that you have the latest innovations and best products to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.” He claims to be board certified in holistic health and alternative medicine and states that he comes from a family of medical professionals in the Dominican Republic, including his mother, whom he assisted “in various nursing and medical procedures” starting at age 11, “thus causing an immense desire to continue studying in the area of nursing and medicine.” On the website, he says, “It gives me great pleasure to help individuals gain improvement in their health condition and lifestyle through natural methods and simple therapies.”
Legal Proceedings
Luis Rojas Cabrera’s arraignment was pending in Bronx Criminal Court.
