Woman Running Illegal Post-Surgery Recovery Center At Hotel Arrested: Police

Miami -- A 51-year-old woman has been arrested after authorities said they discovered she was running an illegal post-surgery recovery center out of a hotel in Miami, Florida.

The woman, identified as Jocelyn Ramos-Rivera, was arrested Thursday. She is facing 42 counts of operating an assisted living facility without a license, NBC Miami reported, citing an arrest report.

Ramos-Rivera is accused of running the operation out of the Extended Stay America at 8655 Northwest 21st Terrace in Doral.

On June 2, officers who were conducting surveillance at the hotel saw a Dodge Caravan arrive and watched as the driver assisted a woman inside, according to the report.

"The passenger was walking cautiously and shuffling her feet which is indicative of post-operative cosmetic surgery behavior," read the report.

Detectives followed the driver and the woman into the hotel and to their floor before they identified themselves. One officer asked the driver if any post-surgery patients were being cared for in the hotel.

The driver admitted that there were five patients in total in three rooms of the hotel.

"All of the patients were in various stages of post-operative cosmetic surgery recovery," the report said.

According to the report, the patients were assisted with bathing, dressing, eating, using the bathroom and taking medication.

Patients told investigators they were charged between $1,025 to $1,300 for personal care while they were recovering.

Police called Ramos-Rivera and asked her to come to the hotel. The 51-year-old never showed up, according to the report.

Police returned to the hotel Thursday and spoke to a woman who claimed she was employed by Ramos-Rivera. The woman admitted that four patients were being cared for in two rooms of the hotel, the report said.

Police were able to track down Ramos-Rivera and arrest her. She was booked into jail. It is unclear if she has obtained legal representation.

No other detail about the case has been released as of writing.

Post-surgery recovery homes require a license before they can operate in Florida. State law also requires an assisted living facility to be a private home or other residential facilities.