Prosecutors: Accused Doctor's Victims Felt Uncomfortable with Him

A local physician accused of inappropriately touching four female patients was ordered to stand trial Thursday by a San Bernardino County Superior Court judge.

Dr. Ramon Fawzi Fakhoury, 35, of Norco, is accused of sexually abusing the women while working as an attending physician at Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Urgent Care Center on the East Campus. He no longer works with the medical center.

Judge A. Rex Victor ruled there was enough evidence to hold the doctor over for trial following testimony from two San Bernardino County Sheriff’s detectives taken at the court hearing.

Fakhoury faces 14 criminal counts of sexual battery by fraud, elder or dependent abuse and attempted sexual penetration with a foreign object. An elder abuse charge filed on behalf of a 68-year-old victim was not held as a felony, however Deputy District Attorney Tristan D. Svare said the charge could be re-filed or filed as a misdemeanor.

Fakhoury must return to court March 26 for arraignment.

According to the testimony, all four victims, ages 32, 68, 55 and 60, had similar complaints about Fakhoury. The women claim Fakhoury touched their vaginal areas through their underwear, according to testimony from San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Detective Ken Green and Detective Sgt. Mark Hubbard.

All reported feeling uncomfortable, the investigators said.

Svare said they were satisfied with the results, though they had hoped the judge would have directed Fakhoury to stop treating all patients. Instead he chose to follow the California Medical Board recommendation, which allows him to treat men and treat women under supervision.

“We argued that was insufficient,” Svare said.

The hearing was challenging for the defense, which had to deal with a smaller burden of proof needed at preliminary hearings.

“That’s tough for a defense attorney to try and overcome especially when you don’t have eyewitnesses,” said Fakhoury attorney Courtney E. Pilchman, of the Irvine-based Pilchman and Kay, PLC. “Virtually what we heard is what officers think they remember from the interviews.”

They will file a motion to challenge the charges, she said.

“I feel as strongly now as I did the moment I met Dr. Fakhoury that he did not commit these crimes. We will have our day in court."