The NYPD said they have arrested 55-year-old Luis Rojas Cabrera of Passaic, New Jersey and that he has been charged with reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice of profession after a 27-year-old woman was found unconscious at a wellness center on the border of the Kingsbridge and Riverdale sections of The Bronx on Sunday, July 19, and died. Rojas Cabrera was arrested on Sunday, July 19, police said.

 

According to one police source, the woman was a customer / patient of Bereshit Wellness Center, where she was found unconscious. The website for the center is www.drluisrojas.com.

Police said that on Sunday, July 19, at around 1.10 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding an aided woman at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, located at 5141 Broadway in the Inwood section of Northern Manhattan, just south of Marble Hill.

 

“Upon arrival, officers were informed by hospital staff that a 27-year-old woman had been transported unconscious and unresponsive to the hospital from Bereshit Lifestyle Center, located at 3190 Riverdale Avenue [on the border of Kingsbridge and Riverdale], within the confines of the 50th Precinct,” a police spokesperson said.

Police said the woman was subsequently pronounced deceased and the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. Following Rojas’ arrest, they said the investigation remains ongoing. Asked if the victim had taken any medication at the center, police initially declined to say.

The deceased was later identified as Elizabeth Baron of The Bronx.

Norwood News asked the NYPD if the Luis Rojas Cabrera who was arrested was a doctor. The NYPD press spokesperson said she did not have that information.

 

Later on Monday, police confirmed the victim had received some type of medication / product at the center but they could not confirm, when asked, if it related to Botox (or anti-aging medication).

 

On the homepage of the site, www.drluisrojas.com, an extract reads, “Welcome to Bereshit Lifestyle Center.”

Norwood News contacted NYC Department of Health (DOH) for comment on the incident, to ask what type of license the center holds, if any, and whether it is now indefinitely closed.

 

We were referred by the City’s health department to New York State Department of Health and NYS Department of Education (DOE). We followed up with the State health department and a representative referred us to the New York State department (DOS). We later contacted both DOS and DOE.

A DOS spokesperson referred us back to the State health department “as they license medical practitioners” and to the NYS DOE “as they [the latter] license this spas.”

 

The DOS spokesperson also said that in January 2026, it was announced that over 200 inspections conducted statewide of “Med Spa Service Providers” had resulted in suspensions, revocations, and fines. In the announcement, it was noted that improper services have caused serious injuries and added that a business that is promoting itself as a ‘med spa’ or offering ‘med spa’ services MUST be licensed as a medical facility and licensed professionals must be performing the services.

 

See below for more information on how to file complaints for anyone who has concerns regarding such spas:

• Know how to file complaints: Consumers need to file complaints with the appropriate authority.
  • Complaints against any physician or physician assistant: File a complaint with the Department of Health’s (DOH) Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) regarding any physician or physician assistant at 1-800-663-6114
  • Complaints against unlicensed med spa service providers:  File a complaint with the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions
  • Complaints against estheticians or cosmetologists performing med spa procedures: File a complaint online with the New York Department of State Division of Licensing Services  or  by calling (518) 474-4429.
  • Unlawful practice of medical procedures/Harm: In cases where an unlicensed practitioner has performed a procedure in violation of the law that has caused harm, consider contacting local law enforcement.

 

The Bereshit Lifestyle Center is not described as a spa on its website. It’s described by the website, Yelp, as among the top 10 naturopathic/holistic entities. Meanwhile, services offered at the center, according to its own website, drluisrojas.com, include a weight loss and detox program, a wellness kit, “RemedeMD,” hydrotherapy, geotherapy, aromatherapy, spinal stretching, urinalysis, saliva analysis, hair mineral analysis, genetic testing, and consultations, including video consultations.

 

Norwood News followed up once again with DOH and DOE and also asked for information regarding any potential complaints filed in respect of the center.

 

A State DOH spokesperson subsequently referred us to DOE for information about professional licensure “as they are the agency that licenses physicians to practice in New York.” We are following up with DOE and will share any updates we receive.

 

Meanwhile, NYC Department of Health provided the following information regarding “Botox” safety. We asked if she could confirm if the victim had received Botox injections prior to her death. A representative said she could not confirm.

Botulinum Toxin Injection Safety

Getting botulinum toxin (“Botox”) from unlicensed people or from people using counterfeit or fake products can pose serious health risks.

Since 2024, cases of severe reactions, including the rare and sometimes fatal disease botulism, have been linked to unlicensed botulinum toxin administration, “do-it-yourself” injections, and counterfeit botulinum toxin products in NYC. These severe reactions have led to hospitalizations and intensive care admissions.

To protect your health, receive botulinum toxin injections only from licensed medical professionals authorized to prescribe and administer these treatments.

Safety Tips

If you are considering a botulinum toxin injection for a medical condition or cosmetic reason (such as for wrinkles):

• Ask your provider if they are licensed and trained to give the injection.
• Do not accept injections from unlicensed providers.
  • You can verify your provider’s license online.
• Ask if the botulinum toxin product being used is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and obtained from a reliable source.
  • Botulinum toxin injections are available under brands like Botox, Daxxify, Dysport, Jeuveau, and Xeomin.
  • Ask to see the medication vial used for the injection.
• Avoid suspicious businesses advertising botulinum toxin injections at unusually low prices or outside medical settings.
• When in doubt, do not get the injection.

After getting a botulinum toxin injection:

• See your healthcare provider or go to the emergency room immediately if you have any symptoms of botulism, including:
  • Blurry or double vision
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Muscle weakness
• Report suspected counterfeit botulinum toxin products to the FDA at 800-551-3989 or through FDA’s criminal activity reporting form.
• Report harmful reactions related to any medication, including suspected counterfeit medication, to the FDA MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

 

Who Can Prescribe and Administer Botulinum Toxin Injections

Under New York state law, Botox and other botulinum toxin injections may be given only by trained, licensed professionals who regularly perform this type of care. To confirm that the person giving your injection is a licensed professional, go to the New York State Professional Verification Search online. Select “Search by Name” and select the provider’s profession to find their license information.

The following providers (license codes in parentheses) are licensed to give botulinum toxin injections:

• Physicians (060)
• Physician assistants (023)
• Nurse practitioners (029)
• Dentists (050)
• Podiatrists (070)
• Registered nurses (022)
• Licensed practical nurses (010)

Aestheticians and cosmetologists are not licensed to practice medicine. Administering botulinum toxin injections likely constitutes the practice of medicine under New York law. Engaging in the practice of medicine without a medical license can result in criminal charges, including felony penalties.

Additional Resources

• NYS: Consumer Guide to Beauty Salons and Spas (PDF)

 

A visit to the Kingsbridge location on Monday found it shut. A person, possibly a resident, of the building located next door, was asked if he knew if the center was busy generally, and he seemed to suggest that it was not. We spoke to another man on the quiet, seemingly residential street on which the center is located, and asked if he knew anything about the center and he said he did not, and was just there picking up his kids at a nearby daycare.

 

At the location, on the door of the premises, Rojas is described as an “alternative and holistic health practitioner.” A green sticker was also seen on the door for hfaloan.com. A google search for this site directs users to a website called paybyhfa.com.

An extract from the latter site reads, “Care providers shouldn’t have to watch good patients walk out because they can’t afford care today. And they shouldn’t have to spend hours chasing down payments that may never come. Pay By HFA offers 100% guaranteed financing for all patients–instantly—and deposits your money in days, not years.”

 

HFA is located at 1000 Corporate Centre Drive, Suite 100, Franklin, TN 37067 according to its website.

 

Another sticker on the door of the premises indicated that the premises had been disinfected in line with “the CDC and OSHA’s guidelines for reopening.” This may have been in reference to a closure amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent reopening. The sticker was from Advantage Cleaning LLC.

Meanwhile, another section of the center’s website references “Dr. Luis A. Rojas,” described as an M.D., surgeon, naturopath, a full member of the Dominican Medical College, Dominican College of Surgeons, and the Superior Council of Natural Medicine in the Dominican Republic.

 

A further website extract reads, “I am a member of the Hispanic Health Professionals Association of New York, Inc. I am U.S. Board Certified by the A.A.D.P. in Holistic Health, U.S. Board Certified by the A.A.M.A in Alternative Medicine. I am currently based in New York City and  I am the founder of Bereshit Lifestyle Center. I feel to a great degree fortunate that for as far back as 30 years I have been given the opportunity to do something I completely enjoy. It gives me great pleasure to help individuals gain improvement in their health condition and lifestyle through natural methods and simple therapies.”

Dr. Rojas’s “Story” is further outlined on the website as follows: “I come from a family of medical professionals, I was exposed at an early age to the joy it brought my mother in helping others at her clinic based in the Dominican Republic. At the age of 11, I was allowed to assist my mother in various nursing and medical procedures, thus causing an immense desire to continue studying in the area of nursing and medicine.”

 

The story continues, “I eventually enrolled at the Universidad Tecnologica de Santiago en Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 1990 and graduated in 1995 as a physician. A few years later in 2002 I graduated as a surgeon from Salvador B. Gautier Hospital located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I was also fortunate to train in several surgical specialties, such as head and neck, bariatric, laparoscopic, and other types of surgeries as well as in alternative, integrative and naturopathic medicines abroad in places like Israel, France, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.”

 

The extract continues, “I initially worked as a nurse and then as a doctor at the Medical Center Maranatha which was the medical center founded by my mother. I was founding physician of the medical clinic at a prison located at kilometro 15 in Azua, Dominican Republic. I was chief resident during my  general surgery residency and then chief of emergency at the hospital Salvador B. Gautier.”

The website story extract continues, “I was medical specialist and collaborated with the development of more than 100 surgeons during their medical residencies in hospitals such as: Salvador B. Gautier, Francisco Moscoso Puello, U.C.E university medical center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I was part of a surgical team that belonged to Public Health (SESPAS), which conducted operations  every weekend in all public hospitals across the country in order to reduce the waiting list of patients who required surgical intervention.”

 

It concludes, “I worked in the medical center Vista del Jardin as a surgeon and naturopathic physician. I assist in the development of naturopathic physicians in the Universidad Nacional Evangelica (UNEV), in addition I taught courses in natural hygienist medicine, nutrition, ozone therapy, magnet therapy, alternative and integrative medicine in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico and the United States. Currently I have performed over 6,000 Surgeries including thyroid, abdominal, bariatric, oncology, head and neck, among others. I am currently an active surgeon and Naturopath in the Dominican Republic and an alternative and holistic medicine practioner in the United States.”

 

A call to one number listed on the center’s website on Monday went to voicemail. The mailbox was full. Another call placed with a second listed number went to the a young person who said he was the son of Dr. Luis Rojas. His son agreed to take a message on behalf of his father. Norwood News will share any feedback we receive. 

A third number listed on the website was for a Fairlawn, New Jersey-based number and went to a general voicemail with no indication of whose number is was. Norwood News left a message and requested comment.

 

Norwood News also sent an email request for comment to the email listed on the same website and an automated out of office reply referred us to the New York City Department of Health for “urgent inquiries.” 

Another section of the same website, www.drluisrojas.com, which lists Bereshit Wellness Center on its homepage, advertises new antiviral kits. Another section talks about therapies for various illnesses.

 

A motto on the center’s website reads, “Running Towards Nature, may your food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

 

Rojas Cabrera is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

 

Click here to read our prior story about an abortion clinic in the Morris Park section of The Bronx which closed in March 2024, with seemingly no explanation.

 

As reported, on Monday, July 20, a 35-year-old man was stabbed in the vicinity of the center and remains hospitalized in critical condition. It’s unknown if the two incidents are related. Police are investigating and said the mobilization point (for police) for the stabbing was at the address for the center at 3190 Riverdale Avenue but the stabbing occurred in its vicinity.