GULF BREEZE, FL – The husband of a woman who suffered cardiac arrest during plastic surgery procedures, which he was performing, has been arrested on charges of second-degree felony homicide in Florida, the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office announced on Monday.
Dr. Benjamin Jacob Brown, a 41-year-old plastic surgeon, is being accused of performing unauthorized procedures on his wife, Hillary Ellington Brown, leading to her going into cardiac arrest. Incidents took place at Restore Plastic Surgery in Gulf Breeze, Florida, where Brown was running his practice.
On November 21, 2023, local law enforcement responded to a medical emergency at the clinic, where Brown’s wife was found unresponsive. She was transported to a local hospital and put on life support, but unfortunately, she passed away a week later, on November 28, 2023.
After an extensive investigation involving medical examiners and the state attorney’s office, Benjamin Brown was arrested and booked into Santa Rosa County Jail.
It was established from the investigation that during procedures that included muscle repair, abdominal scar revision, bilateral arm liposuction, and a lip injection, Hillary Brown showed signs of lidocaine toxicity.
Further, it was reported that Brown did not immediately call for emergency services when his wife lost consciousness and waited for at least 10 minutes before initiating CPR.
Brown is also being accused of medical malpractice for carrying out unauthorized medical procedures on patients and neglecting sterility protocols, according to a report by the Florida Health Department.
While the exact cause and manner of Hillary Brown’s demise are being determined through an autopsy protocol, this procedure may take several months due to extensive lab and toxicology tests.
Hillary Brown’s father, Marty Ellington, criticized Brown, claiming his arrogance resulted in a delayed response to his daughter’s crisis which ultimately led to her death.