Additional Coverage:
- Fake surgeon with no medical license pleads guilty after woman suffers cardiac arrest in makeshift clinic (irishstar.com)
A New York man has admitted guilt in the manslaughter of a woman who suffered cardiac arrest after undergoing an illegal surgical procedure in his apartment.
Felipe Hoyos Foronda faced charges following the death of 31-year-old Maria Penaloza, who experienced cardiac arrest during a makeshift operation in his Astoria residence in March 2025, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office. Foronda was not licensed to practice medicine in the U.S.
After the procedure went tragically wrong, Foronda attempted to flee the country. Penaloza passed away two weeks later as a result of complications.
District Attorney Melinda Katz stated, “The defendant, who lacked a medical license, performed a surgical procedure on the victim in his home. During the procedure, he injected a deadly dose of anesthesia into the young mother, which led to her death.” She added that Foronda tried to escape responsibility by heading to JFK Airport but was apprehended.
The charges detail that on March 28, Penaloza arrived at Foronda’s apartment seeking removal of buttock implants. While a friend waited in the living room, she was taken to an adjacent room where Foronda administered lidocaine and saline via syringe. Shortly after, Penaloza became lightheaded and suffered cardiac arrest.
Emergency responders found her unconscious on a medical chair. She was transported to a hospital, where she showed no brain activity and was taken off life support on April 11, 2025.
Foronda was arrested at JFK Airport as he tried to board a flight to Florida, with plans to continue to Colombia. A search of his apartment uncovered medical equipment including an IV stand, syringes, injectable substances, and other supplies.
The autopsy confirmed Penaloza’s death resulted from lidocaine toxicity during the unlicensed procedure.
This case highlights the dangers of unlicensed medical practices, which remain a serious issue. Similar incidents have occurred in recent years, such as in 2017 when a Florida man received a 10-year sentence for posing as a cosmetic surgeon and injecting harmful substances. Just this week, another unlicensed cosmetic practitioner was arrested in Florida for running an illegal lip filler business.
Foronda now faces up to 15 years in prison for his role in Penaloza’s death.