In a tragic turn of events in Astoria, Queens, 31-year-old María Paz Peñaloza Cabrera has died following a dire encounter with a man accused of practicing plastic surgery without a license. Felipe Hoyos-Foronda, 38, allegedly attempted to remove Cabrera's butt implants at his residence and is now facing charges of assault and unauthorized practice of a profession, according to reports from ABC7NY.
As detailed by The Daily News, the ill-fated procedure took place on March 28, and reportedly after being administered lidocaine, a local anesthetic, Cabrera went into cardiac arrest and, unfortunately, she never regained consciousness; she was later declared brain-dead and was ultimately removed from life support, succumbing to what prosecutors identify as lidocaine toxicity which can cause seizures, irregular heart rhythms and in severe cases respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.
The aftermath of this ill-conceived operation left Cabrera's two young sons, aged 3 and 1, without a mother and her family bereaved; Cabrera, who immigrated to the United States from Colombia in 2022, was described by her sister Linney Peñaloza Cabrera in an interview with The Daily News as a "bright entrepreneurial woman" who had dreams of becoming a beautician and was well-known in her community for selling tamales and empanadas.
Meanwhile, Hoyos-Foronda's arrest unfolded as he was intercepted at JFK Airport, where police captured him after his license plate was seen on the Van Wyck Expressway, he had passed through security, and he claimed to authorities he was a licensed doctor in Colombia, "Maria was a very happy person, very family oriented," Cabrera's sister said, adding that “She always wanted to be around us at her home. We'd always spend the holidays at her place.” “It's never easy to say goodbye.” The Queens district attorney’s office remarked, “Whenever circumstances change in a case we reexamine the charges,” signifying an "active and ongoing investigation," as noted by The Daily News.
Cabrera's death has since prompted a reevaluation of charges against Hoyos-Foronda, who is due back in court on April 28; in the meantime, a GoFundMe page has been established to support Cabrera's bereaved family.
