MIAMI - A South Florida plastic surgeon accused of torturing and trying to kill his former girlfriend faced a judge Wednesday.
Dr. Orlando Llorente was charged with kidnapping and attempted murder. Police said his ex-girlfriend claims the suspect, who is married, beat and tortured her April 21 after he confronted her about a Facebook posting.
Llorente, a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice, had previously been affiliated with Kendall Regional Medical Center. He has since been suspended.
Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes described the violent confrontation between Llorente and his ex-girlfriend, which took place in a Brickell high-rise. "What he did was grab her hair, stick her [head] into the toilet, and afterwards into the tub, and then shoved a piece of rag down her mouth, causing her to almost lose consciousness," she said.
Police said the victim claims Llorente held her down, face up in the bathtub for hours while she was being water-boarded. "Now, this torturing lasted somewhere between 12 and 16 hours," Reyes said.
In bond court, Llorente's lawyer disputed the victim's account. "I don't see anything within the narrative that suggests that Dr. Llorente prevented the alleged victim from leaving, either by threat or force or by implication," said Marcos Beating during the hearing.
Authorities said Llorente let the victim go if she promised not to say anything about her ordeal. Later that night, police said, they were at a Pinecrest CVS pharmacy, where he coached her on what to say about her injuries. According to the police report, Llorente's ex-girlfriend put her iPhone on record mode to capture Llorente coaching her. When he realized she was recording him, police said, he became violent again, smashing her phone to pieces and pushing her to the ground. The victim was eventually able to escape.
Residents who live near the home Llorente apparently shares with his wife said they are not necessarily surprised by the alleged events. "It's terrible," said a male neighbor. "This guy's a surgeon? Who would want him doing surgery ... when he has no integrity at all?"
A woman who also lives in Llorente's neighborhood echoed that sentiment. "People actually count on him to take care of their lives while under any type of anesthesia, and he's over here torturing someone else," she said. "That is very scary. You just don't know who to trust anymore."
Llorente is currently being held without bond.
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