Police Officer Rebecca De Paula Dies After Cosmetic Surgery in Dominican Republic

Rebecca De Paula, a 31‑year‑old New York City police officer and mother of three, travelled to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to have breast implants removed. She died early on Sunday after developing a bacterial infection and severe complications following the procedure. Dominican authorities – the Policía Nacional, the Ministry of Public, the Ministry of Health and the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses (INACIF) – are conducting an autopsy and investigation, with no official cause of death released yet. Her family in the United States is demanding a malpractice probe, citing the rapid deterioration of her condition and the lack of adequate medical care at the clinic. The case has heightened scrutiny of cosmetic‑surgery tourism in the Dominican Republic.