A 19-year-old Miami Beach resident, Ventura Del Castillo Perez, was arrested on charges of assaulting Dr. Steven Silvers, an OB-GYN at Mount Sinai Medical Center. On a Monday night, as captured by hospital surveillance, Del Castillo Perez is accused of attacking the doctor over a disagreement over prescribed medication for his mother. This encounter left the physician with a range of injuries, according to a Local10 report.
In detailing the events, Dr. Silvers recounted to the awaiting a judge via Zoom how the altercation unfolded. "I had a brief interaction with this gentleman, and then I turned to walk away and he jumped me from the back and beat me," Dr. Silvers told the Miami-Dade County Judge Mindy Glazer. Describing the prelude to the assault, Silvers indicated that an international patient had noticed Del Castillo Perez pacing the hallway, eliciting concern, as reported by Local10.
The judge ordered Del Castillo Perez to be held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and mandated him to stay away from both the doctor and the hospital, with another hearing scheduled to follow, as per information by Local10. Del Castillo Perez faces charges including aggravated battery and battery on an emergency medical care provider.
From the victim's account, injuries suffered by Dr. Silvers included a concussion, a hematoma, a swollen collarbone, bruised temple and eye, brain contusion, and two broken ribs. Asked by the prosecutor if he feared Del Castillo Perez, Silvers responded, "Absolutely," as noted in the WSVN article. Witnesses at the scene didn't overhear threats during the initial discussion between the two but did observe the escalation of the situation.
According to the arrest documentation, Del Castillo Perez pursued Dr. Silvers after reading negative Yelp reviews about him and, through a confrontation at the hospital, claimed to have acted in self-defense during the process which resulted in Silvers being body-slammed. After the incident, Silvers was found unconscious, requiring medical attention, and has since been released from the hospital, as per an arrest report summarized by WSVN.
