Man Accused of Posing as Doctor Surrenders

A Rancho Palos Verdes man turned himself in to police Wednesday night after being charged with posing as a doctor at a plastic surgery clinic and fondling several female patients.

Victor Javier Mateluna, 53, who operated the San Pedro Medical Group and Linar Medical Group, was released on $50,000 bail pending his arraignment Feb. 21. If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison.

Mateluna could not be reached for comment Thursday.

According to Los Angeles City Atty. James K. Hahn, Mateluna was also charged with grand theft after one patient paid him $1,800 for plastic surgery on her nose that was never performed.

The case grew out of two separate investigations into the pediatrics and plastic surgery clinic--one by the Medical Board of California, the other by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division.

In January 2000 the Medical Board began looking at the clinic, located in San Pedro, after receiving an anonymous complaint that Mateluna was posing as an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Several months later, two patients filed complaints of sexual battery by Mateluna with the LAPD.

“It was quite interesting to find out about these complaints after we were already investigating him,” said Kim Wilson, a senior investigator with the Medical Board.

According to Deputy City Atty. Mark Lambert, one woman who went to Mateluna to inquire about plastic surgery on her nose was told to remove her shirt and bra, whereupon Mateluna massaged her breasts.

During the Medical Board investigation, agents went undercover on two occasions, posing as potential patients in an effort to confirm that Mateluna was operating the clinic without a license.

Mateluna, who advertised his clinic’s services mostly in Spanish-language media, closed the clinic in September after learning about the LAPD investigation.