Southwest
Texas doctor found guilty of poisoning patients by putting dangerous drugs in IV bags
A Texas doctor who was dubbed a “medical terrorist,” was found guilty of injecting heart-stopping poison into IVs at his former medical clinic in North Dallas.
FOX 4 in Dallas reported that a 12-person jury found Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz guilty on all 10 counts after nearly seven hours of deliberation.
When the verdict was read, Ortiz was reportedly wearing a mask and showed no emotion.
As a result of Ortiz’s action, several patients suffered cardiac emergencies and Dr. Melanie Kaspar died after using one of the IV bags, prosecutors said.
TEXAS DOCTOR ACCUSED OF POISONING PATIENTS BEGS FOR BAIL, GIVES NEW DETAILS ABOUT DOG SHOOTING
Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz was found guilty of contaminating IV bags. Dr. Melanie Kaspar died after using one of the tainted IV bags. (Dallas Police Depart/ Obituary)
Federal prosecutors said the anesthesiologist committed the shocking crimes at Baylor Scott and White Surgicare North Dallas in retaliation for a medical misconduct probe.
A criminal complaint accused Ortiz of injecting nerve blocking and bronchodilation drugs into patient IV bags.
Surveillance video showed the doctor placing an IV bag in a stainless steel warmer outside an operating room on Aug. 19, 2022. Minutes later, another staffer took the bag, and a patient soon after reportedly suffered a heart attack.
DALLAS DOCTOR DUBBED ‘MEDICAL TERRORIST’ AFTER CAUGHT TAMPERING WITH IV BAGS
Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz, left, and a screenshot from surveillance footage where he’s seen tampering with IV bags that poisoned patients. (WebMD/U.S. State Attorney’s Office)
Ortiz’s colleague, beloved anesthesiologist Melanie Kaspar, took a contaminated IV bag home on June 21 to rehydrate due to an illness. Almost immediately after inserting the IV into her vein, she suffered a serious cardiac event and died. An autopsy showed she was fatally poisoned by bupivacaine — a numbing agent that the Justice Department said “is rarely abused” but used to alleviate pain during surgery.
“There’s no closure. My best friend is gone,” John Kaspar, Dr. Melanie Kaspar’s widower reportedly said shortly after the verdict. “I don’t think he ever looked me in the eye… It’s almost like you have so many emotions you can’t sift them out. You get flooded.”
The station reported that the witnesses called to the stand during the trial included the anesthesiologist who discovered the bags were tainted, John Kaspar, and a teen who suffered cardiac arrest during nose surgery.
US MARINE ARRESTED IN TEXAS AFTER STEALING OVER $500,000 IN JEWELRY, AUTHORITIES SAY
The hospital where Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr. tampered with IV bags that led to the death of another physician and sickened at least one patient. (Google maps)
The incidents first began two days after Oritz was notified of a disciplinary inquiry against him over his handling of a medical emergency. Other doctors noted he complained the center was trying to “crucify” him.
FOX 4 reported that there were 13 patients between May and August 2022 who experienced similar cardiac emergencies, though prosecutors only charged the doctor with causing bodily injury to four of the patients in August.
A judge had ordered Ortiz be held before trial after prosecutors argued that he was a danger to the community by citing, in part, a 2015 incident in which he shot his neighbor’s dog in retaliation for the woman helping his then-girlfriend obtain a restraining order against him after a domestic violence incident.
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Ortiz was convicted of four counts of tampering with consumer products resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of tampering with a consumer product and five counts of intentional adulteration of a drug, prosecutors said.
Ortiz is expected to be sentenced in two to three months. He faces up to life in prison.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
The star-studded feel-good giveback event of the summer has returned. KTLA 5 is teaming up once again with Project Angel Food for the annual “Lead with Love: Going the Distance” telethon to raise critical funds for medically tailored meals delivered to people living with serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The seventh annual telethon airs […]
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
-
A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
-
World2 minutes agoBurkina Faso cuts diplomatic ties with former colonial ruler France
-
News29 minutes agoA day after Alito’s testy response to Sotomayor’s dissent, court says it was a ‘misunderstanding’
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoWatch Project Angel Food's 'Lead with Love' telethon on KTLA
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoMetro Detroit weather forecast, June 26, 2026 — 4 p.m. Update
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoNewlyweds celebrate Pride-themed weddings inside SF City Hall as parade preparations underway
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoAll Dallas restaurants firing up specials for July 4th and America’s 250th
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoHelping Venezuela: State Department deploys Miami-Dade search-and-rescue team
-
Boston, MA3 hours agoPhotos: Norway takes on France in high-powered World Cup matchup in Foxborough – The Boston Globe
