Former USC gynecologist charged with sexually abusing patients is hospitalized

Hours after being arrested and charged with the longtime sexual abuse of patients at USC’s campus clinic, George Tyndall was hospitalized, and officials say he will not appear in court Thursday.

LAPD Capt. Billy Hayes said Tyndall is under observation and is being guarded at a hospital.

The physician was taken into custody at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday as he left his high-rise apartment near Lafayette Park. Immediately after detectives approached him, the 72-year-old began complaining of chest pains and was driven to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment.

The 29 felony charges laid out in a criminal filing Wednesday by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office concern allegations by 16 women involving incidents between 2009 and 2016 and carry a potential prison term of up to 53 years, authorities said.

Tyndall’s arrest was the capstone of a yearlong investigation that ballooned into the largest sex crimes inquiry involving a single suspect in LAPD history. The charges represented only a fraction of the allegations made to police and prosecutors by nearly 400 women and span the final seven of Tyndall’s 27 years at the university.

Complete coverage of The Times’ investigation of George Tyndall »

Tyndall has asserted repeatedly that he did nothing wrong and that his treatment of patients was consistent with good medical care.

After his arrest, Leonard Levine, one of Tyndall’s attorneys, said: “After one year of being tried in the press, Dr. Tyndall looks forward to finally having his case adjudicated in a court of law.”

Detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division presented the district attorney’s office with evidence linked to the sexual abuse allegations of 145 former patients for potential prosecution. Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that her office was still reviewing the cases and that more charges were likely.

The charges already filed include allegations that were within the 10-year statute of limitations and had evidence corroborating the women’s accounts, Lacey said.