(RepublicanView.org) – A Texas doctor has been found guilty of poisoning patients by placing toxic substances into intravenous (IV) bags. Dubbed a “medical terrorist,” Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz injected heart-stopping substances into patients’ bodies at his former clinic in north Dallas, a jury found.
Prosecutors said Ortiz injected toxins into at least a dozen bags and left these in communal areas at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare, causing life-threatening cardiac events. US Attorney Leigha Simonton said the doctor had left “ticking timebombs” around the clinic, citing security footage that showed him placing an IV bag in a steel cabinet outside an operating room in August 2022. Medics soon afterward used that bag to treat a patient who immediately suffered a heart attack.
The poisonings came to light following the death of Ortiz’s colleague, Dr. Melanie Kaspar. The 55-year-old anesthesiologist died in June 2022 after she treated herself with an IV bag to counter dehydration. A subsequent toxicology report found that Dr. Kaspar’s body contained traces of a drug that Ortiz had handled.
The doctor’s husband, John Kaspar, said he had no closure. “My best friend is gone,” he added.
Prior to the incidents, Dr. Ortiz was under investigation and faced disciplinary action when a patient stopped breathing under his care. An inquiry found he had failed to preserve the patient’s airway and deviated from the expected standard of care. Colleagues testified that he was angry about the proceedings and worried about his financial situation as his job was threatened. He told one colleague the center was attempting to “crucify” him.
The jury convicted Dr. Ortiz on four counts of tampering with consumer products resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of tampering with a consumer product, and five counts of intentional adulteration of a drug. Jurors said the evidence left them with no doubt of his guilt, and he now faces a prison sentence of up to 190 years.
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