October 10, 1970: Fetus Shoved Through Hole in Uterus

Twenty-three-year-old Maria Hernandez Ortega, a citizen of Guatemala, had been living in the United States with her husband, Luis, for eight months in October of 1970. They'd lived in Queens until mid-August, when they had relocated to Boston.

Maria and Luis traveled back to New York and stayed with a friend, Alfonso Paniagua-Garcia, in Queens. so that Maria could take advantage of New York's new law legalizing abortion on demand.

The abortion, a dilation and curettage, was performed by Dr. Armida Zepeda in her New York office, 1440 York Avenue, at about 5 p.m. on October 10. 

Zepeda had estimated the pregnancy to be two months. After trying for about 20 minutes, she was unable to extract the fetus. She concluded that Maria had not been pregnant after all, and sent her home. Maria and Luis returned to the friend's apartment.

At 10:00 that night, Maria died in her friend's home. It turned out that she had actually been at least four months pregnant, not two months. Zepeda had pushed the fetus through the uterine wall into Maria's abdominal cavity. Maria had bled to death.

Maria's death was the tenth known abortion death in New York City since abortion had been legalized on July 1. City officials said that four of those abortions were performed in hospitals and the other six were started outpatient. Public health officials reviewing the situation decided to forbid any more abortions to be performed in doctors' offices, though they could still be performed in outpatient clinics. According to the New York Times, "A few doctors have announced they intend to defy the regulations."

Sources: 

• "First Abortion Death Here Under New Law Reported," NY Daily News, October 17, 1970
• "Testimony Is Taken in Abortion Case," Greely (CO) Daily Tribune, Oct. 17, 1970
• "Boston Woman, 23, Dies After Abortion Performed in Office of Physician Here," New York Times, October 17, 1970
• "Office Abortions Ruled Out," Palm Beach (FL) Post-Times, October 18, 1970
• "Nonhospital abortions out on Monday," Omaha World Herald, Oct. 18, 1970
• "Death laid to abortion," Portland Oregonian, Oct. 18, 1970
• Obstetrics and Gynecology March 1974

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Veteran pro-life investigator Kevin Sherlock asks people of good will to help him have Planned Parenthood prosecuted for profiteering from the rapes and incests of underage girls many thousands of times each year.

Sherlock has  pulled the police records of hundreds of cities and has pulled the child protective services records of multiple states to prove Planned Parenthood staffers are violating mandated reporting laws designed to protect girl victims.   But there is more to be done. Sherlock will make sure more and more evidence gets to federal and state prosecutors who care about protecting girls from abusers and profiteers.

If you would like to help, please click the following link:

https://www.givesendgo.com/stop-pp-from-profiteering-from-the-rapes

Sherlock has talked to many girls and young women who trust him. Their stories and the forensic evidence shows most of them undergo pill abortions or humiliating invasive surgical abortions due to fear or ignorance or pressure or coercion. He treats the girls or women carrying children or devastated from their abortions as friends and neighbors in his home town, not afterthoughts.

Thank you for doing what you can to help girls and fight sexual predators and rape profiteers.

-------------------------------

Veteran pro-life investigator Kevin Sherlock asks people of good will to help him have Planned Parenthood prosecuted for profiteering from the rapes and incests of underage girls many thousands of times each year.

Sherlock has  pulled the police records of hundreds of cities and has pulled the child protective services records of multiple states to prove Planned Parenthood staffers are violating mandated reporting laws designed to protect girl victims.   But there is more to be done. Sherlock will make sure more and more evidence gets to federal and state prosecutors who care about protecting girls from abusers and profiteers.

If you would like to help, please click the following link:

https://www.givesendgo.com/stop-pp-from-profiteering-from-the-rapes

Sherlock has talked to many girls and young women who trust him. Their stories and the forensic evidence shows most of them undergo pill abortions or humiliating invasive surgical abortions due to fear or ignorance or pressure or coercion. He treats the girls or women carrying children or devastated from their abortions as friends and neighbors in his home town, not afterthoughts.

Thank you for doing what you can to help girls and fight sexual predators and rape profiteers.