An advanced practice registered nurse from Miami Lakes has been abruptly pulled from the job after his Florida nursing licenses were emergency-suspended this week, following his arrest on a charge that he molested a child under 12. Luis Vandama Brizuela, 61, has pleaded not guilty and has remained in custody without bond since his May 28 arrest.
According to an arrest report, an 11-year-old girl told relatives that Brizuela touched her inappropriately during a March visit to the family’s Hialeah home, saying he grabbed her waist, felt her bottom and kissed between her breasts. The report says Brizuela later told relatives he had been drinking and did not remember the rest of the day. As reported by the Miami Herald, he faces counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and lewd and lascivious conduct.
Florida Department of Health license records show emergency suspension orders were filed July 17 that temporarily bar Brizuela from practicing while regulators pursue discipline. The department’s license pages flag his APRN record and list a Plantation office address, indicating the administrative action was entered on July 17, according to the Florida Department of Health.
What the charge carries
Under Florida law, lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12 is treated as one of the most serious criminal offenses, and in certain circumstances the statute classifies that conduct as a life felony. The penalties and felony levels are detailed in Florida Statute 800.04, which governs lewd and lascivious offenses involving minors.
State discipline and pattern
The Department of Health’s public enforcement roster shows a series of emergency suspension orders issued statewide in recent weeks, with Brizuela’s case listed among actions entered since mid-June. That enforcement listing highlights how state regulators have been using emergency orders to quickly remove licensees from practice while longer-term discipline is considered, as reflected on the Florida Department of Health enforcement list.
What happens next
On the criminal side, Brizuela’s case will move through arraignment and pretrial stages in Miami-Dade courts, where prosecutors and defense attorneys will file motions and prepare evidence. On the regulatory side, emergency suspensions are immediate but temporary, and the next steps typically include the filing of an administrative complaint and an opportunity for a hearing before an administrative law judge. Those procedures are set out in state law and the administrative process rules in Florida Statutes Chapter 456.
