A former patient of a New York doctor accused of drug abuse and the rape of numerous women has admitted she was “too scared” to go back to the hospital.
The 19-year-old woman told ABC7 through a translator that Zhi Alan Cheng, 33, injected her with a drug that caused her to pass out in 2021 in the children’s ward at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital.
“I don’t remember anything else until I woke up,” she said. “I had terrible pain in my body and legs. Everywhere.’
Police say their investigations revealed that Cheng filmed himself carrying out some of the attacks, with the unidentified victim bravely speaking out among the women he allegedly filmed.
Her lawyer, Nicholas Liakas, said the hospital had no record of what medication she was given, adding that the symptoms she woke up with were “very indicative” of the assaults Cheng is accused of.
Cheng appeared in court in Queens on Tuesday and was charged with 50 felonies. His alleged crimes were exposed by an ex-girlfriend who was among the depraved videos in December.
Zhi Alan Cheng, 33, is accused of drugging and raping women in New York-Presbyterian Queens, where he worked, and at his home
The former patient of the disgraced doctor said that despite the excruciating pain she felt upon waking up, she wasn’t sure she had been raped until she saw Cheng’s arrest on the news.
“I’m too scared to go to the doctor now,” she added. ‘I don’t want to go.’ I hope God doesn’t make me sick again.’
Cheng, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, is accused of sexually abusing three women and three patients at his Queens home – including the 19-year-old, who went to his hospital the day before she was scheduled to have gallbladder surgery REMOVED.
After the alleged attack, she and her mother informed hospital officials, who took the allegation seriously by checking surveillance camera footage and key card access.
Although there was a rally at the hospital where she reportedly identified Cheng, Laikas said the hospital’s investigation has stalled and he plans to file a lawsuit against the hospital over his client’s ordeal.
The 19-year-old was among six women filmed by Cheng, prosecutors said. However, authorities fear the number could continue to rise as the investigation continues.
Cheng was originally charged with rape in December 2022 after a former girlfriend accused him of using a K-N95 mask full of cotton balls soaked in liquid to render her unconscious, raping and filming.
After the alleged attack, his home was searched, and investigators found a slew of drugs, including fentanyl, ketamine, LSD, and several anesthetics typically used in surgeries.
Police also found devices at his home containing dozens of other records, with his alleged crimes believed to date back to 2021.
After the arrest, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz urged other potential victims to contact her office if they think Cheng may have targeted them as well.
“The evidence gathered paints a picture of a sex offender of the absolute worst kind, a serial rapist, a human being willing not only to violate his sacred oath of profession and the trust of patients, but every standard of human decency,” she said.
“We will present the facts to a jury and seek justice for the victims of the horrific assaults that were caught on video.”
The victim’s attorney, Nicholas Liakas, said the symptoms she woke up with were “very indicative” of the assaults Cheng is accused of
New York’s Presbyterian Hospital Queens condemned Cheng’s alleged crimes as “heinous, despicable and a fundamental betrayal of our mission and the trust of our patients.”
Cheng has allegedly targeted a number of women while they were under his care at Queens Hospital, including a 37-year-old patient whom he allegedly filmed feeling unconscious in 2021.
A short time later, according to prosecutors, he raped a woman he had met through a dating app and also filmed the attack.
A small brown bottle was seen on his bed in the video, authorities said. Authorities said they found a similar bottle containing a powerful narcotic at his home.
Cheng faces 50 criminal cases after being indicted by a grand jury.
He is charged with ten counts of predatory sexual assault, three counts of first-degree rape, seven counts of first-degree sexual abuse, four counts of second-degree physical assault, and three counts of first-degree criminal sexual activity.
The doctor is also charged with 11 counts of second-degree unlawful supervision, eight counts of seventh-degree controlled substance possession and four fourth-degree firearms possession counts.
Further charges were brought against him even after his arrest in December 2022.
Queens District Attorney Melissa Katz urged more women to come forward if they believe they were victims of Cheng
In a statement following this week’s harrowing allegations, New York-Presbyterian said, “The crimes committed by this individual are heinous, despicable, and a fundamental betrayal of our mission and the trust of our patients.”
“We are appalled and deeply saddened by what these victims and their families have endured.”
The hospital said Cheng was released six months ago after New York-Presbyterian learned of the criminal rape charge.
“In December 2022, when the district attorney brought allegations of sexual abuse against this individual to our attention, she was immediately dismissed from the service, banned from hospital grounds and discharged,” the hospital said.
“We have cooperated fully with the Queens Attorney’s Office, the NYPD and the New York Department of Health.”
Cheng’s attorney, Jeffrey Einhorn, said Monday it was “too early” to comment on the case.
Cheng pleaded not guilty and is being held on Rikers Island.