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A wife and mother of three children has died after traveling to the Dominican Republic for a cosmetic procedure.
New York Police Department officer Rebecca De Paula, 31, was having breast implants removed at a clinic when she died from complications involving bacteria, local news station Noticias SIN reported on Monday, Aug. 3.
De Paula was an officer at the 46th Precinct in the Fordham section of the Bronx, according to NBC New York.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of NYDO member Police Officer Rebecca DePaula,” the New York Dominican Officers Organization, a fraternal group that represents NYPD officers of Dominican descent, said in a statement posted to social media.
The post included a single photo of the 31-year-old standing in her uniform, smiling at the camera.
“Please keep Rebecca’s family, friends, loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. We join together in praying that God grants her family strength, comfort, and peace as they navigate this tremendous loss. May Rebecca rest in eternal peace. Her kindness, her service and memory will never be forgotten,” the statement concluded.
Her family has requested an investigation into whether negligence was a factor in De Paula’s death, Noticias SIN reported.
Although breast implant removal is generally considered to be safe, serious risks can include anesthesia complications, deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications, fat necrosis, infections and more, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
“Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our sister P.O. Rebecca De Paula, who passed away while off duty after only 18 months on the job,” Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said in a statement to the New York Daily News. “We ask all New Yorkers to keep her family, friends and coworkers in your prayers during this difficult time.”
