Carmel on the Case: Plastic Surgery Mystery

She even took pride in filling her Miami-Dade condo with decorative items.

But as beautiful as Ophilia wanted things to be, there is evidence of something very ugly... and disturbing happening here.

Fred Rojas: "I mean, she was at the brink of death."

Son Fred Rojas believes his mother may have been the victim of an unlicensed doctor.

He says an infection had eaten away at both of his mother's hips.

Fred Rojas: "You could see, almost see, the bone in that area of the hip."

Back in November, Fred was horrified to find his mother's apartment full of medical supplies.

There were also ointments and soiled towels that indicate she tried to treat the infection herself.

Fred Rojas: "So the scene is pretty bad. So that gives you a sense of how desperate she was."

Richard Rojas: "I believe she has been doing some kind of injections for years."

Fred Rojas: "Yes, asking some of the neighbors, they conveyed to me that she mentioned that she was going to have a procedure done."

She is now in a nursing home.

And police are puzzled.

Detective: "We haven't found an unlicensed practitioner at this point..."

This undercover Miami-Dade detective asked we protect his identity.

He says there is a chance Ophilia tried to perform a cosmetic procedure on herself.

Detective: "Because all our leads have led us to a direction that it is not an unlicensed doctor."

But police aren't positive one way or the other.

Richard Rojas: "The doctor informed me that she had puncture holes all over her and that's what had gone septic, and gangrene developed."

If neighbors hadn't found Ophilia, she could have died.

Still, the saddest part of this story - Ophilia's sons thought she was beautiful just the way she was.

Fred Rojas: "But, no. I don't think she'll ever be the same, no way."

The family and the police hope there is someone who can help them solve this mystery.

Call her in Dade at 305-627-CLUE

Or in Broward at 954-921-CLUE

email: clue@wsvn.com