A bullet lodged in a South Florida woman since she was robbed and shot in the face a week ago was successfully removed during seven hours of surgery Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Jackson Health System said.
“Doctors placed a metallic plate in her jaw,” the hospital spokeswoman, Lidia V. Amoretti, said of the patient. “They also managed to remove the bullet with no complications.”
Evelin Matamoros, 36, is recovering following her surgery, and more details about her condition were expected to be released later, Amoretti said.
Matamoros has been hospitalized since Jan. 24, when she was shot in a robbery outside Cafe Ruyi at 5300 NW Seventh Ave., police said. She handed over her purse to a robber, who shot her in the face anyway, police said.
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A suspect, Kamiah Lanier, 20, was arrested several hours after the robbery on charges of attempted murder, armed robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and using a firearm during the commission of a felony, police said.
Earlier this week, officials released X-rays that had been taken of Matamoros. Doctors at the time said that after the bullet entered through her cheekbone, it went into her mouth, continued through her body and into the upper part of her neck.
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Dr. Gabriel Ruiz at the time said he hadn’t removed the bullet due to precaution.
“I was not able to recover the bullet due to the location,” he said. “Sometimes it’s more dangerous to actually pursue the subjects.”
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Photo Credit: Courtesy Jackson Health System