A Bronx woman's death was a ruled as a homicide after an unlicensed practitioner introduced air into her intravenous catheter during a treatment that purports to reverse aging, according to the city medical examiner's office.
Elizabeth Baron, 27, went unconscious almost immediately after Luis Rojas Cabrera gave her an intravenous infusion of a chemical known as NAD+ at the Bereshit Lifestyle Center in Kingsbridge on July 19, according to a criminal complaint. She was taken to New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where she was pronounced dead that afternoon.
The cause of death was cardiac air embolism, caused by air introduced into Baron's IV catheter by an unlicensed practitioner, and was deemed a homicide by the Chief Medical Examiner.
NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is used in some anti-aging treatments despite limited studies on its safety and effectiveness.
The NYPD reclassified its investigation into Baron's death as a homicide, but no new charges have been filed against Cabrera since Monday’s action.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement that it encourages others victimized by Cabrera to contact them.
Court records show Cabrera is due back in court on Oct. 8.
Cabrera, 55, was arraigned hours after Baron's death and charged with reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice of a profession. A Bronx judge released him pending the results of an autopsy and ordered him to surrender his passport, according to the district attorney's office.
Cabrera's attorney, Donald H. Vogelman, said in a statement that a homicide ruling does not necessarily mean Baron was murdered.
"This means that a homicide is not necessarily a murder, but may be caused by an accident,” Vogleman said. “If it is a homicide, it was clearly an accident."
"My client will be fully exonerated in court," he added.
