A 29-year-old Florida woman, Gabriela Pereira, is accused of performing a cosmetic laser surgery at a medical spa without a license. Allegedly, she caused her patient’s chin to become necrotic as a result.
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According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, the incident occurred back on April 16, 2024. At the time, the patient first met Pereira, who allegedly performed an Endolaser treatment on her chin at Tonya Beauty, an Orlando medical spa.
However, the patient left the first appointment with a burned, blistering chin. The woman allegedly met up with Pereira a total of seven times. Pereira kept telling her patient that her chin looked “normal,” according to the affidavit.
Eventually, the woman arrived at a hospital after her injuries worsened, with “pus coming out of her right eye.” She was diagnosed with necrosis in the chin area, as per the document.
Despite her diagnosis, the woman continued attending Tonya Beauty to receive treatment, as per the document. Furthermore, spa employees allegedly told her that, should she refuse it, it could lead to a fatal outcome.
Eventually, however, she ended up receiving treatment at another medical spa, but she still has scars from the procedure Pereira allegedly performed.
Investigation, Charges
The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) in Orlando was aware of the alleged practices at Tonya Beauty. The affidavit detailed that they had received a tip back in February 2023 about an employee who had performed Botox treatments without a license.
Moreover, an investigator allegedly found expired licenses for Tonya Beauty’s staff, including for Tonya Silva Pereira, the owner. Tonya had been served with a cease and desist order by the Florida Department of Health, as per the affidavit. She had allegedly been practicing medicine without a license.
Gabriela Pereira was charged with nine counts of practicing medicine without a license, 9 counts of practicing a health care profession without a valid license, and two counts of dispensing medical drugs without a license, as per WKMG.
Tonya Beauty is described as a popular Brazilian medical spa with locations in Orlando, Miami, and Tampa. Tonya Pereira, the founder, has more than 4 million followers on Instagram. She has limited the comments on her posts, probably caused by the controversy.