A mother of two has died weeks after an alleged unlicensed surgeon attempted to remove her butt implants from his home in New York City, police say. Maria Penaloza, 31, went into cardiac arrest after being injected with lidocaine, a local anaesthetic on March 28, according to a criminal complaint.

She was rushed from Felipe Hoyos-Foronda’s home in the Queens area of the city to hospital and was later declared brain-dead, according to court documents. A doctor previously said Maria was unlikely to survive and showed signs of lidocaine toxicity. Hoyos-Foronda allegedly performed the operation "without a license to do so and while not in a medical facility" on March 28, a criminal complaint from the Queens District Attorney's Office says.

The 38-year-old was apprehended at JFK International Airport attempting to board a flight, authorities said.

He was charged with second degree assault and unauthorised practice of profession, the New York Police Department told ABC News.

"Whenever circumstances change in a case we re-examine the charges," the District Attorney’s office said about upgrading the charges after Maria’s death, according to the broadcaster. 

"This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and we cannot provide further comment." 

Hoyos-Foronda is reportedly currently being held at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center, according to custody reports. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 28.

The family of Maria have paid emotional tributes following her death. Her sister described her as “very happy” and “very family oriented”.

“She always wanted to be around us at her home,” she said. “We’d always spend the holidays at her place.”

Her brother-in-law said: “It’s never easy to say goodbye. Your absence hurts, but your memory is light. 

“We keep every shared laugh, every gesture of love, every conversation that we now treasure," reports The Sun.

Maria leaves behind her two sons, aged three and one.