A 27-year-old Bronx woman allegedly died after an unlicensed practitioner accidentally introduced air into her bloodstream during a popular anti-aging treatment, according to the city medical examiner.
Elizabeth Baron suffered a fatal cardiac air embolism after air entered an IV, the medical examiner determined. The procedure was allegedly performed by Luis Rojas Cabrera, 55, whose official cause-of-death ruling was disclosed Tuesday.
The finding resolves questions surrounding Baron’s sudden death during a July appointment at Bereshit Lifestyle Center, a Riverdale wellness facility that advertised “natural medicine” on its website.
Rojas Cabrera, who operated the spa and is not licensed to practice medicine in the United States, allegedly administered NAD+ to Baron. The molecule has gained popularity in alternative-health circles and among celebrities including Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Joe Rogan, who have promoted its purported anti-aging benefits.
Baron went into cardiac arrest shortly after receiving the injection. According to court documents, Rojas Cabrera later told a police officer, “I made a very big mistake.”
Prosecutors charged Rojas Cabrera with reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice of a profession while awaiting autopsy results to determine whether the injection caused Baron’s death.
The medical examiner ultimately classified Baron’s death as a homicide, a determination that could lead to upgraded charges against Rojas Cabrera, sources said.
