A New York mum of two has died after undergoing a botched procedure allegedly performed by a man pretending to be a plastic surgeon on TikTok. María Paz Peñaloza, 31, suffered a cardiac arrest during what was meant to be a butt implant removal at a makeshift “clinic” run by Felipe Hoyos-Foronda — a man prosecutors claim was unlicensed and operating illegally.
The procedure took place on 28 March, where court documents say Hoyos-Foronda administered lidocaine through a syringe to numb the area. But shortly after the injection, María went into cardiac arrest. She was rushed to The Mount Sinai Hospital and placed in intensive care. Tragically, she was declared brain-dead days later and passed away on 11 April, reported the Mirror.
Prosecutors believe María’s death may have been caused by lidocaine toxicity — a condition that occurs when too much of the anaesthetic enters the bloodstream. While commonly used and safe in small doses by trained professionals, lidocaine can be fatal when improperly administered. The drug can cause seizures, irregular heart rhythms, and even respiratory failure within minutes if misused.
Hoyos-Foronda, 38, was arrested after allegedly trying to flee to Colombia. Authorities say he performed the illegal surgery not only without a medical license but also outside of any licensed facility.
Speaking to the NY Daily News, María’s sister, Linney Peñaloza Cabrera, said they never imagined something like this could happen. “A friend who went with María called and said she was taken away in an ambulance, but she didn’t know how bad it was.”
Linney revealed that María had been referred to Hoyos-Foronda by a friend who had previously undergone a procedure with him. “From the time the ambulance came and while she was in the hospital, [doctors] were trying to revive her for two-and-a-half hours,” she added.
María had moved to New York in 2021 and left behind a three-year-old son and a baby. After her condition worsened, her family set up a GoFundMe campaign in a desperate attempt to raise money for travel and request humanitarian visas so her parents and eldest son could say goodbye.
In their plea, her loved ones said: “Doctors have made the decision to disconnect her, without allowing time for her family in Colombia… We beg that a humanitarian visa be granted… Every contribution, no matter how small, helps in this painful time.” The case is now under investigation as María’s family and community seek justice for a life lost far too soon.
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