Police arrested two people in Illinois for allegedly performing dental procedures without licenses after a woman was hospitalized with complications following the removal of an infected tooth, according to multiple news stories.
Idania Morena-Paal, 41, of Granite City, IL, and Rudolfo Figuera, 59, of Rolling Meadows, IL, were charged on February 24 with felony counts of practicing medicine without a license. Neither has any dental credentials. They were released from police custody, according to the stories.
In October, their alleged victim reported to police that the pair performed dental surgery at a home in September. The woman claimed she paid $850 to Morena-Paal and Figuera to perform dental work on her molar. The patient further alleged that Morena-Paal injected her with an unknown substance and gave her pain medication.
The woman’s tooth became infected, and she returned to the pair for further treatment. Figuera reportedly pulled the infected tooth, according to the news stories.
The woman’s infection worsened, eventually spreading to her ears. She went to the hospital for emergency treatment.
In October, police searched Morena-Paal’s home and purportedly seized dental equipment, medications, including narcotics, more than $1,000 in cash, six cellphones, and various financial records, according to the stories.
Additionally, Morena-Paal allegedly posted images of dental instruments, a surgical syringe, and blood-covered teeth on a tray on her social media accounts. Captions on the images suggested the photos were taken during alleged dental procedures she performed at her home.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
