Dr. Sergio Sarita Valdez, the nation’s chief forensic pathologist, head a team of physicians that carried out an autopsy to the body of journalist Isabel Vargas. Samples were taken from the body at the Cristo Redentor Cemetery for analysis at the Forensic Institute laboratory. The autopsy had been requested by the District Attorney’s office to determine the true causes of the journalist’s death and if there had been medical negligence. Originally, the husband of the deceased had said she died of a heart attack at the hotel where she was staying. Later it was established she had died at the Centro M?dico Bellas Artes, three days after undergoing plastic surgery. The physician performing the "lipoescultura" procedure, Dr. Edgar Contreras was under press scrutiny after the Puerto Rican judiciary requested him to stand trial in Puerto Rico for the death of Puerto Rican Dhelmalyz R?os. In the case of the Dominican journalist, who resided in Puerto Rico at the time of her death, Dr. Contreras extracted about a liter of fat from her stomach, legs, back and breast. Dr. Contreras was invited to be present at the autopsy of the Dominican journalist. Dr. Sarita said the results of the autopsy would be released to the District Attorney who could then report findings to the press. Dr. Contreras practice is one of the most active in the Dominican Republic. He was known to "sculpture" women, removing fat from certain areas to be placed in others. He was also very much in demand for his very competitive rates.
