A plastic surgeon from California, Dr. Carlos Chacon, has been charged with murder after allegedly choosing not to call first responders after a patient, who he was operating a breast augmentation on went into cardiac arrest, reports PEOPLE. 

KGTV-TV, KSWB-TV, and KDSN-TV, reported that 36-year-old Megan Espinoza had a cardiac arrest while having the procedure at Divino Surgery Center in Bonita, California back in Dec. 2018. According to the news outlets, Dr. Chacon waited over three hours to contact emergency responders and urged his staff not to contact officials. 

Initially, the doctor was charged with involuntary manslaughter; however, the charge was elevated to murder on Monday after it was revealed that he exited the operating room to speak with 4 different patients while Espinoza was experiencing complications, reports KNSD.

According to KGTV, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Gina Darvas said,

“The defendant essentially doubled down on his practices and prevented other people from calling 911 and allowed Ms. Espinoza to essentially suffocate for a three-hour period before emergency personnel were finally summoned.” 

The Doctor was also accused of using a nurse who wasn’t properly trained to allocate the anesthesia. The nurse allegedly lied to the victim’s husband when he called the office to check in on his wife amid the operation.  KNS reported that the doctor pleaded not guilty to the charge. 

“Despite what the prosecution says about these interviews with individuals, nothing has changed from a medical perspective. It is the same case…So, now to ramp this up to a murder charge is something I’ve never seen. I’ve been practicing for 30 years in criminal defense, and I’ve never seen anything like this,”

said his attorney, Marc Carlos. 

The doctor’s bail has been set at $500,000. 

#Clique, what are your thoughts?