GULF BREEZE, FL – A plastic surgeon in northwest Florida has been arrested more than six months after his wife died following a series of procedures he performed on her at his office, authorities said Monday.
Dr. Benjamin Jacob Brown, 41, faces charges of second-degree felony homicide: manslaughter by culpable negligence, according to the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office. The arrest follows an extensive investigation involving the medical examiner’s office and the state attorney’s office.
Deputies responded to a medical emergency call at Restore Plastic Surgery in Gulf Breeze on Nov. 21, 2023. Upon arrival, they found Brown’s wife, Hillary Ellington Brown, in cardiac arrest. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was placed on life support. Hillary Brown passed away a week later on Nov. 28, 2023.
Investigators determined that Hillary Brown exhibited signs of lidocaine toxicity during procedures that included muscle repair, abdominal scar revision, bilateral arm liposuction, and a lip injection. The Florida Health Department’s investigation revealed that Dr. Brown did not immediately call 911 after his wife became unresponsive and waited at least 10 minutes before starting CPR.
The health department also accused Dr. Brown of medical malpractice, citing unauthorized procedures on patients and failure to follow sterility protocols. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office stated that detectives are continuing their investigation into Hillary Brown’s death.
The cause and manner of death remain pending, awaiting the autopsy protocol from the medical examiner’s office, which involves extensive laboratory and toxicology tests and could take several months to complete.
Hillary Brown’s father, Marty Ellington, expressed his grief and anger, blaming Dr. Brown’s negligence for his daughter’s death. “His ego and arrogance overshadowed the need for help, prolonging oxygen deprivation to her brain and ultimately causing her death,” Ellington said. “Ben Brown took the mother from my grandchildren, my only daughter, and our brightest star.”