CLEARWATER, Fla. — Alex Gutierrez, a missing dentist, was arrested for breaking his probation. This could help solve part of a mystery involving several patients who say he left them in the middle of costly procedures.
Court documents say that Gutierrez, who is 47 years old, is locked up in the Pinellas County jail without bond because he has a warrant for reckless driving from 2022, which was a plea deal from a DUI charge.
According to court records, Gutierrez pleaded not guilty to breaking three conditions of his probation. One of these was that he didn’t show up to an appointment in January.
Jason Bard, who is Gutierrez’s lawyer, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Sgt. Amanda Sinni of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said that Gutierrez was taken into custody without a problem last Friday at the county misdemeanor probation building.
Gutierrez Orthodontics has been closed for weeks, and mail is piling up behind the front door. The phone number for the practice has been turned off, and its website is not working.
8 On Your Side has asked Gutierrez for comments more than once, but he hasn’t answered, and several patients have said they haven’t been able to talk to him about their treatments or dental records.
Patients in Tampa say that their dentist “disappeared” without finishing their treatments.
When Traci Hillring found out Gutierrez’s office was closed, she was in the middle of a $5,000 procedure to straighten her teeth.
Hillring is one of many patients who said they had to pay other providers and start over because they couldn’t get care from their original doctor.
That costs Hillring an extra $2,500 and takes away seven months of his life.
“It’s very annoying. “I hoped this would be over,” Hillring said. “It would be nice to be done with my treatment and no longer have to pay for it or wear trays every day.”
Hillring said that knowing where Gutierrez is is good, but she doesn’t know if it will help his angry patients, who are out tens of thousands of dollars.
Hillring said, “Maybe you could give some kind of refund.” “I’m not too worried about why he’s in jail, but maybe he should have to pay for what he did.”
Patients of a missing dentist have to start all over again with braces and other treatments
Gutierrez has never been in trouble with the Florida Department of Health or been the subject of a complaint.
A FDOH representative said that they couldn’t confirm or deny whether or not any patients who were affected by Gutierrez’s decision to close his office have filed complaints.
