The grieving mother of a former NYPD “Officer of the Month” says Dominican Republic doctors never told her outright that her daughter had died after what the family describes as a botched implant-removal surgery.
Rebecca De Paula, 31, died Sunday at a clinic in Santo Domingo, reportedly after developing a bacterial infection about a week after traveling to the island for the procedure, according to Dominican outlet El Dia.
Her relatives are now calling for a malpractice investigation, alleging that medical staff and health officials failed to be transparent with the family as De Paula’s condition deteriorated.
“They didn’t tell me, ‘She’s dead,’” De Paula’s mother, whose name has not been released, told local television in Spanish.
“They told me she was in serious condition. My brother rushed me there, I went upstairs and I saw the empty bed. Something was wrong, I thought. I said, ‘Where is my daughter?’”
“And my son told me, ‘Mommy, she’s with God.’ That was the only thing he said to me,” she recalled.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have not officially confirmed De Paula’s cause of death, and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal procedure remains ongoing.
Her body is expected to be returned to the United States.
De Paula, who was also a pastor, was an esteemed NYPD officer. She became one of New York’s Finest in January 2025 and served in the 46th Precinct in the Bronx.
In March, she was named officer of the month for her “outstanding police work and dedication to the community,” the Precinct announced online.
David Marmol, a former NYPD instructor who trained De Paula, described the cop as one of his best recruits after she received the award.
“Great person and devoted Christian,” he wrote online.
Marmol described De Paula as a “beautiful soul” as he paid tribute after news of her death emerged.
“You would say God bless you instead of hi,” he wrote on Instagram.
“You had so many good questions. You had such a bright future. You will be missed by your family, friends and colleagues. May you rest in peace.”
“Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our sister P.O. Rebecca De Paula, who passed away while off duty after only 18 months on the job,” Patrick Hendry, the New York City Police Benevolent Association President, told The Post.
“We ask all New Yorkers to keep her family, friends and coworkers in your prayers during this difficult time.”
American tourists travel to locations such as the Dominican Republic for cosmetic surgery because it’s cheaper and the wait times for procedures tend to be shorter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have revealed.
But 93 US citizens have died between 2009 and 2022 after undergoing cosmetic surgery on the island.
There were an average of 4.1 deaths a year, but 17 were reported in 2020.
Investigators found the majority of deaths to be linked to fat or venous thromboembolism.
The risks of implant removal surgery include bleeding, deep vein thrombosis, cardiac complications, and infection, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
