To the public, Cristian Pérez Latorre appeared to live a life of success and style, attracting tens of thousands of followers on Instagram for his cosmetic surgery business, posing in photos with actors and rubbing shoulders with international models. On social media, he dished out video advice on Botox, sound baths and the dangers of injected liquid silicone.
But at least some of the time, the self-described “facial specialist” who also ran an “aura healing” business was illegally performing cosmetic surgeries without a license, resulting in “serious bodily injury” to at least one client in 2021, according to Los Angeles County prosecutors.
Latorre, 53, was arrested Thursday and has been charged with assault and battery after “posing as a doctor and performing cosmetic surgery without proper licensing,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
He was released Friday on $150,000 bail, according to jail records and prosecutors.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that Cristian Perez Latorre has been charged with assault and battery after posing as a doctor and performing cosmetic surgery without proper licensing on a woman in Los Angeles in July 2021.
(Los Angeles County District Attorney)
Although Latorre advertised himself on his Instagram and other social media accounts as a “board certified plastic surgeon” in Argentina and a “registered nurse assistant” in the U.S. working in “educational medical teaching,” law enforcement said his medical qualifications were not up to par when he treated a woman three times in 2021.
The first occurred on July 13 of that year, when, according to prosecutors, he “performed unlicensed cosmetic surgery” on the patient. Ten days later, he treated her for infections that occurred as a result of the surgery. Then, on Aug. 13, he treated the patient again for “additional complications” from the surgery, the prosecutor’s office said.
The prosecutor's press release did not specify what the complications were or why the charges were filed three years after the alleged crime.
Latorre faces one count of “assault with a deadly weapon” and one count of “assault with serious injury.” He is also charged with six counts of “practicing medicine without certification.”
If convicted of those charges, he could face up to 10 years in state prison.
“When a person poses as a physician and performs medical procedures without a license, they not only endanger lives, but they also erode the essential trust between patients and legitimate health care providers,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “This act of deception threatens the integrity of our health care system and the trust the community has in those dedicated to their well-being.”
Kathleen Nicholls, chief of the state Department of Consumer Affairs’ investigative division, which was involved in the investigation, said in a statement that “there is no excuse for the practice of medicine without a license and it will not be tolerated. Anyone who breaks the law and endangers the health of others must face the consequences for dangerous and selfish actions.”
It's unclear how long Latorre had been practicing cosmetic surgery in California or how long he had been unlicensed. An Instagram account matching his name and likeness has more than 20,000 followers and features photos of him posing with celebrities, including actor Mickey Rourke.
The allegations against Latorre are part of a series of recent accusations by law enforcement officials or cosmetic surgery clients in an industry that is less regulated than other medical fields. It is also a booming industry. According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, the North American cosmetic surgery market was estimated to be worth more than $18 billion last year.
California has its own rules about who qualifies as “board certified.” The state allows the label for doctors certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which requires U.S.-trained physicians to have up to eight years of surgical training that includes at least three years of residency in plastic surgery.
The state does not allow the label for those certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, which says surgeons must have at least one year of training in cosmetic surgery after completing residency in one of several approved fields.
In addition to working in cosmetic surgery, Latorre also promoted himself as the co-founder of an online “aura healing” store. He sells a variety of items, including palo santo and sage candles, crystals and juice detox plans that start at $110.
Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this article. report.
