An unlicensed doctor has been arrested in New York after a 27-year-old woman died after receiving an anti-ageing serum injection at a holistic wellness centre in the Bronx.
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Elizabeth Baron lost consciousness shortly after undergoing the procedure at the Bereshit Lifestyle Centre on Riverdale Avenue near West 232nd Street at around noon on Sunday, the New York Post reported, citing police and sources.
She was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at about 1.10pm.
Police arrested 55-year-old Luis Rojas Cabrera later that day and charged him with reckless endangerment and the unauthorised practice of a profession.
Sources told the NYP that Cabrera is licensed to practise medicine in the Dominican Republic but does not hold a medical licence in the United States.
On the wellness centre's website, Rojas describes himself as an "M.D., Surgeon, Naturopath" and claims to be U.S. board certified in holistic health and alternative medicine. He also says he is a full member of several medical organisations in the Dominican Republic and the Hispanic Health Professionals Association of New York. The website states that he comes from a family of medical professionals in the Dominican Republic and began assisting his mother with nursing and medical procedures at the age of 11, an experience he says inspired him to pursue a career in medicine.
The city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner is conducting a toxicology report to determine the cause of Baron's death.
