Queens Woman Dies After Illegal Buttock Implant Removal Procedure in Unlicensed Home Clinic

María Paz Peñaloza Cabrera, 31, died on April 11 after she went into cardiac arrest at a makeshift clinic in Queens, New York

A 31-year-old New York mother of two, María Paz Peñaloza, tragically died following a plastic surgery procedure to remove buttock implants that was carried out in an unlicensed, makeshift clinic inside a residential home in Astoria, Queens.

The incident occurred on March 28, when Peñaloza visited the first-floor apartment of Felipe Hoyos Foronda, a man later identified as a Colombian national and former licensed physician in Colombia, but without authorization to practice medicine or perform cosmetic procedures in the United States.

Peñaloza Cabrera was on a ventilator for two weeks before she died

During the procedure, Peñaloza was administered lidocaine, a local anesthetic commonly used to numb specific body areas. Within minutes of the injection, she went into cardiac arrest. Emergency responders rushed her to the intensive care unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens, where doctors fought to save her life for two weeks. She was ultimately taken off life support on April 11.

Although hospital officials have not disclosed the precise cause of death, the Queens District Attorney’s Office believes lidocaine toxicity played a central role. Lidocaine is generally considered safe, but can be fatal when administered in high doses or improperly injected over large areas. Toxicity affects the central nervous system and can cause seizures, irregular heartbeats, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest. Symptoms often appear within five minutes of administration, and the toxic dose is estimated at 4.5 mg/kg.

Felipe Hoyos-Foronda was arrested for assault and unauthorized practice of a profession

Shortly after the incident, authorities arrested Foronda at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to flee the country. During the investigation, officers discovered syringes, medicines, medical devices, and other visible equipment inside the home—evidence suggesting that multiple cosmetic procedures may have been conducted at the location in the past.

Foronda was initially charged with second-degree assault and unauthorized practice of a profession. However, prosecutors have stated that those charges may be upgraded following Peñaloza’s death.

Hoyos-Foronda was allegedly operating an unlicensed office in his Queens home

Peñaloza’s older sister, Linney Peñaloza Cabrera, shared that the family was in shock and unprepared for the sudden tragedy. She explained that María had chosen Foronda based on a friend’s recommendation, believing the procedure to be safe. Her sister recounted that doctors tried to revive her for over two hours after the cardiac arrest.

María Paz Peñaloza Cabrera, 31, is a mother of two sons, ages three and one

Peñaloza moved to New York in 2021 in search of a better future for herself and her children. Her sudden death highlights the dangers of undergoing unregulated cosmetic procedures, especially from individuals operating without proper medical licenses in the United States.