Miami Beach Doctor Arrested for Suspected Elder Abuse

MIAMI BEACH, FL — A Miami Beach doctor was arrested at his Collins Avenue home on Monday on suspicion of elder abuse. Sixty-six-year-old Raul Arcadio Tamayo is facing two counts of neglect of an elderly or disabled adult. Police said the doctor was accused of running two unlicensed elderly care facilities in the Florida Keys after an elderly woman was brought to a local hospital in cardiac arrest and covered in urine and severe bed sores.

"Dr. Tamayo is accused of failing to provide care for the elderly patients at the facilities and for falsifying records to indicate he was providing care," said the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. "He is accused of knowing the facilities were unlicensed, and of knowing the woman who supervised the facilities was not medically trained in any way." (Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Beach Patch.)

Police identified the care giver as 47-year-old Amarylis Maristan, who is wanted on similar charges. Police said Maristan worked under Tamayo's supervision.

"Investigations revealed the two suspects cared for six elderly female patients over the age of 80, all with chronic and acute medical conditions requiring medical care and multiple prescription medications," according to Monroe County Sheriff's Department. "All the patients were bed or wheelchair bound, were diagnosed with memory loss or dementia and were incontinent. The majority of them were found to have urinary tract infections and bed sores when they were seen by medical professionals subsequent to being found in the unlicensed facility."

Police identified the hospital that initially brought the case to their attention as Mariner’s Hospital in Tavernier. The investigation began on Nov. 30, 2016.

"The 85-year old-victim was revived and transferred to Homestead Hospital for treatment where she died the following day," according to police. "Autopsy results later showed she died of “complications of septic shock due to pneumonia.” The investigation revealed that the victim was underweight, suffering from malnutrition and had been suffering from seizures.

Dr. Tamayo was reportedly aware of this history of seizures and had billed the government for seizure medication that was never given to the victim, police said.

Maristan, the care giver, was interviewed at the time the woman was brought to the hospital. "She gave permission for the investigators to enter her residence, where the victim had been cared for prior being taken to the hospital," police explained. "Inside the residence, at 8 Avenue B in Key Largo, the investigators found numerous mattresses against the walls and four more elderly females. The remaining elderly women were transported to Mariner’s Hospital and then to a legitimate licensed care facility."

Police said that Maristan was asked if a doctor had been caring for the elderly victim. "She said the victim was seen by Doctor Tamayo, who she said would make house calls to the facility and prescribe medications as needed for the elderly people at the facility," police said.

The investigation revealed that the elderly victim had not been treated for her severe bed sores or for the pneumonia that ultimately claimed her life.

"Investigations further revealed Dr. Tamayo falsified medical records to show the victim was being seen in person by the doctor," policed added. "After the elderly patients still at the facility were removed and examined, a second victim was found with untreated pneumonia and untreated Parkinson’s disease. The doctor admitted to investigators he was responsible for medical supervision at the two facilities; he also admitted to knowing Maristan was unlicensed and untrained."

Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Maristanc should contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 305-853-3211. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of the Florida Keys. If a Crime Stoppers tip leads to an arrest, the caller would be eligible for a cash reward. The Crime Stoppers hotline number is 800-346-TIPS. Tips may be made anonymously on line at www.tipsubmit.com or via a text message to 274637 using the keyword TIP136.

Raul Arcadio Tamayo photo courtesy of Monroe County Sheriff's Department