2nd Victim Comes Forward In San Francisco Fake Doctor Case
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A second victim has surfaced in the case of a San Francisco man accused of posing as a doctor and illegally performing medical procedures, and more victims may also come forward soon, prosecutors and police said Wednesday.
Carlos Guzmangarza, 49, also known as Carlos Guzman, allegedly operated a dermatology clinic in the 2500 block of Mission Street called the Derma Clinic and assumed the identity of a physician's assistant with a similar name to his, prosecutors said.
Guzmangarza pleaded not guilty last week to charges stemming from allegations that he performed liposuction on a woman and then came to her house to flush six pounds of her fat down her toilet.
He also allegedly treated the woman's daughter for acne by injecting her with an unknown substance, prosecutors said.
Guzmangarza appeared in court again Wednesday for a status hearing in the case, during which Assistant District Attorney Evan Ackiron said one new victim had come forward, and that prosecutors were aware of at least five other potential victims.
Police said that in the newly reported incident, the female victim came forward on Monday saying that she had seen Guzmangarza's photo on a TV news report and recognized him as the man she consulted for cosmetic skin treatment on three occasions.
The victim said she had met the suspect in a Mission Street store in July and they had a conversation in which she described a dermatological condition she had, police said.
Guzmangarza claimed he was a doctor and could treat her, and arranged meetings, police said. During the three consultations, he allegedly inappropriately touched the victim, claiming it was part of the treatment, and made sexually charged remarks, according to police.
He also allegedly prescribed a gel he said should be applied to the woman's skin, which she later found out was a severe skin irritant, police said.
Guzmangarza was arrested on Tuesday for the new charges, which include sexual battery and grand theft.
He remains in custody on $750,000 bail on the initial charges, which include practicing medicine without a license, false impersonation, assault and battery and will return to court on Feb. 7 for another status hearing in the case.
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