Ohio woman dies after cosmetic surgery while recovering at Miami-Dade assisted living facility

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — An Ohio woman who traveled to South Florida for cosmetic surgery died after becoming critically ill while recovering at a Miami-Dade assisted living facility, according to state and law enforcement records obtained by Local 10 News.

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Nubia Arelly Sanchez Lopez, 38, traveled from Ohio to Miami in June for cosmetic surgery. She underwent a Brazilian butt lift, liposuction and breast augmentation on June 16 at 305 Plastic Surgery in Doral, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigative report.

After the procedures, she was taken to Stevens Grandparents Inc., a six-bed assisted living facility in Miami-Dade County licensed to provide “limited nursing services.”

Three days after her surgery, Sanchez Lopez became dizzy, weak and fainted, according to an emergency suspension order issued by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

About 40 minutes later, she developed severe difficulty breathing.

AHCA said facility staff contacted an “on-call” nurse. At the nurse’s direction, staff checked Sanchez Lopez’s vital signs and recorded an oxygen saturation level of 58%. The nurse instructed staff to call 911.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded after Sanchez Lopez went into cardiac arrest. First responders found people performing CPR on her and took her to Kendall Regional Hospital in critical condition, according to the Sheriff’s Office report.

A hospital charge nurse told investigators that Sanchez Lopez suffered multiple cardiac arrests and that her stomach was “flooded with blood” before she was pronounced dead.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined Sanchez Lopez died from complications of cosmetic surgery and classified her death as accidental.

AHCA suspends facility’s license

Following the incident, AHCA issued an emergency suspension of Stevens Grandparents’ license and removed four other patients who were recovering from cosmetic procedures at the facility.

The agency cited several concerns about the facility’s care and response.

AHCA said some vital signs taken after Sanchez Lopez arrived at the facility were not documented in her medical record. The agency also said her resident file did not contain postsurgical care instructions.

The emergency order further stated that staff members working during the incident did not have valid first aid and CPR certifications.

According to AHCA, the facility had a policy requiring residents, rather than staff, to call 911. The agency said the policy was intended to avoid potential financial liability.

Sanchez Lopez’s husband, Kevin Diaz, told investigators that “someone” used his wife’s cellphone to make the 911 call.

Questions over postsurgical recovery facilities

Stevens Grandparents was licensed as an assisted living facility with a “limited nursing services” license.

Before Sanchez Lopez’s death, State Rep. Felicia Simone Robinson, D-Miami Gardens, introduced legislation seeking to create a separate regulatory framework for postsurgical recovery homes.

“This person should not have died. All of the signs were there,” Robinson told Local 10 News.

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Simone Robinson’s bill, House Bill 81, would have created a specific licensing category for postsurgical recovery homes, including requirements involving staffing, medical oversight and penalties for violations.

The bill was filed in October 2025 and received its first reading in January 2026. Simone Robinson said the bill was never heard.

Robinson said an assisted living license is not appropriate for facilities caring for patients immediately after major surgery.

“Although the place was licensed, it wasn’t the appropriate license,” Robinson said. “They need to have at minimum a nurse, LPN on the low scale, preferably an RN.”

Robinson said she intends to continue pursuing legislation addressing postsurgical recovery facilities.

Facility had prior citations

State inspection records show Stevens Grandparents had previously been cited for deficiencies, including during an inspection in March 2023 and additional inspections in June, September and November 2025.

Florida corporate records identify Zenen A. Bernal as an officer of Stevens Grandparents Inc. State health care records also identify Bernal as the administrator, financial officer and 100% controlling owner of another six-bed assisted living facility, Angelina ALF LLC.

When Local 10 News visited the Stevens Grandparents property, Yani Gil said she was a realtor involved in selling the property and had worked as an assisted living consultant.

Gil’s name also appears in state records connected to Bernal and his businesses dating back to 2024.

Gil disputed AHCA’s findings and defended Stevens Grandparents.

“They have their version of what they saw,” Gil told Local 10 News. “That’s not grounds to shut down. You can’t shut down without an investigation.”

AHCA and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigated the circumstances surrounding Sanchez Lopez’s death and the conditions at the facility.

Questions about the surgeon

Local 10 News contacted 305 Plastic Surgery seeking information about Sanchez Lopez’s postsurgical care and whether the practice recommended Stevens Grandparents as a recovery location. No representative agreed to speak on the record.

The surgeon identified in the Sheriff’s Office report, Dr. Fermin Morales, is also the subject of a separate administrative complaint filed by the Florida Department of Health in 2025 involving another patient and an unrelated procedure.

According to the Department of Health complaint, that patient died following a 2023 cosmetic procedure performed by Morales. The complaint alleges Morales violated Florida’s rules governing gluteal fat grafting.

The complaint is an allegation by the state and is separate from the investigation into Sanchez Lopez’s death. State records show Morales’ Florida medical license remains active and do not show a final disciplinary finding related to that complaint.

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Sanchez Lopez’s family declined to comment.