SAN DIEGO – An oral surgeon who employed a surgical technician accused of molesting 13 female patients while they were under anesthesia denies receiving previous complaints about the tech from other patients.
Luis Ramos, 36, was arrested Feb. 3 on allegations he sexually assaulted an anesthetized 17-year-old girl while working as a dental assistant at Park Boulevard Oral Surgery Center in University Heights.
Twenty more charges were later added involving a dozen additional alleged victims. Ramos is now accused of molesting 13 women, ages 17 to 62, from January 2015 through January 2016.
“I just went in there to get my wisdom teeth pulled,” said a former female patient who is suing Ramos and the clinic. She did not want her identity revealed.
In a lawsuit filed last week against Ramos, a woman claims she went to the Park Boulevard Oral Surgery Center in June of 2015 to get her wisdom teeth removed. She says she got red flags the moment Ramos started getting her ready for surgery.
“One thing that really threw a red flag is he put his phone number in my pocket when the procedure was done,” the woman said.
The lawsuit seeks damages for sexual harassment, gender violence, hate violence and civil rights violence. The woman is also planning to sue Park Boulevard, but under California law, must provide them with a 90-day notice because they are a healthcare provider.
The woman said she called staff at Park Boulevard Oral Surgery Center to complain.
“So we contacted them,” the woman told 10News. “They should have done something about it, get rid of it, get rid of him.”
“After we made that complaint and contacted the dental office, nothing was done, obviously.”
10News caught-up with Dr. Podstreleny as he was leaving his office Monday evening and confronted him about the woman’s claims that the clinic could have prevented some of the alleged molestations by taking her complaint seriously.
“I guess that will come out in the investigation,” Podstreleny responded.
Podstreleny and his office manager denied getting complaints from patients.
“Fortunately, we have so few patient complaints, I would certainly remember them, and this is not one I remember at all.” Podstreleny said.
“We certainly have a process to use, if patients have complaints, we have a protocol and process in place,” Podstreleny said. “And I’m certainly made aware of them, and I don’t remember her coming forward, no.”
The clinic says it has cooperated fully with San Diego police.
“I feel strongly with the dental office that they should have really done something about that,” the woman said.
