Davie Woman Busted For Illegally Practicing Medicine In Her Home
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Davie Police say Natalia Jimenez illegally performed medical procedures, like cosmetic procedures, out of a makeshift medical office inside her Davie in the Shenandoah community. Investigators say Jimenez is not licensed to practice medicine in the State of Florida.
"We do believe that she was treating people out of this residence in Davie and possibly other areas in South Florida," said Davie Police Lt. Mark Leone.
Investigators say a former patient blew the whistle on Jimenez when she called the Florida Department of Health following a botched procedure at Jimenez's home.
"We're told that (the victim) had injections done in her abdomen that later turned out to develop a serious infection that she had to have surgery by a trained medical professional," Leone said.
That prompted a law enforcement investigation. Police say Jimenez advertised her services on social media and undercover officers contacted her through a social media site. The detectives set up an appointment, went into the home, saw the organized and professional looking set up and busted Jimenez on Monday for illegally practicing medicine.
"Don't be deceived by that," Leone said. "It's still very dangerous if somebody is not licensed to practice medicine, it could be deadly."
Investigators also say some of the medical equipment and other items in the supposed medical office don't belong in a medical setting.
"The equipment and the medicine that we recovered from the scene, much of it is not licensed to be used in the United States," Leone said.
A woman who has lived in the community for years told CBS 4 News that she never imagined she'd hear of someone practicing medicine in the neighborhood without a license.
"Infection is the first thing that comes to my mind," a woman named Katarina said. "For something like that you need to be in a proper hospital."
When police questioned Jimenez after her arrest she denied the allegations. The police report says "Jimenez denied completing the injections on the victim only stating that she applied a topical solution to her abdomen."
But police believe otherwise and they also fear there may be other victims. They say Jimenez showed the undercover officers photos of some of her other patients to burnish her credentials.
"We believe there are many more (victims) and we'd like them to come forward," Leone said.
Court records show Jimenez was released from jail on bond. She faces four criminal charges. If you have any information about Natalia Jimenez, contact the Davie Police Department.