NYC Woman's Death Ruled Homicide After Trendy Anti-Aging Injection
Medical examiner determines 27-year-old died from air injected during an unlicensed procedure.
The death of a 27-year-old Bronx woman, Elizabeth Baron, has been ruled a homicide by the city's medical examiner, who determined she died from a cardiac air embolism. The ruling indicates that air was accidentally injected into her system during a trendy anti-aging treatment administered by an unlicensed practitioner.
Baron died in July after receiving an IV infusion of NAD+, a molecule promoted for its supposed anti-aging benefits, at Bereshit Lifestyle Center in Riverdale. According to the official cause of death revealed Tuesday, the air entered her bloodstream during the procedure, leading to cardiac arrest.
Prosecutors had charged the practitioner, identified as Luis Rojas Cabrera, 55, with reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice of a profession. Investigators awaited autopsy results to determine if the injection was directly linked to Baron's death. Following the medical examiner's ruling, Rojas Cabrera could face upgraded charges.
Court documents allege that immediately after the injection, Baron went into cardiac arrest. Rojas Cabrera reportedly admitted to a police officer at the time, "I made a very big mistake." The wellness center offered "natural medicine" on its website. Rojas Cabrera is not licensed to practice medicine in the United States.