Orange County prosecutors have charged Dr. Hong-An Jan with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of newborn Charles Wang. The incident occurred in February 2024 at Jan’s clinic in Garden Grove, California.

Circumcision Procedure and Allegations

According to prosecutors, Dr. Jan administered Demerol, a narcotic painkiller, to Charles Wang instead of Xylocaine, a local anesthetic, during a circumcision procedure. He then performed the circumcision. Dr. Jan pleaded not guilty to the felony charge on February 19th and had his medical license suspended pending the outcome of the case.

Parents' Account of Events

Following the procedure, Charles’ parents, Yiqi Wang and Hongyu Lu, reported that their son refused feedings and appeared lethargic. They allege that Dr. Jan assured them these symptoms were “normal” and not a cause for concern.

The parents returned to the clinic with Charles, but Dr. Jan reportedly reassured them again, failing to order tests or take blood samples despite observing symptoms indicative of opiate intoxication, according to a civil suit filed by the parents.

Infant's Death and Toxicology Report

Charles was found cold to the touch around 3 a.m. the following day and was pronounced dead. The coroner’s report determined that the cause of death was bronchopneumonia due to acute Demerol intoxication.

A toxicology report revealed no presence of local anesthetic in Charles’ system, but high levels of Demerol were detected. The Wangs were unaware of these findings until charges were filed against Dr. Jan.

Investigation and Legal Action

Irvine Police Detective Brian Feeling stated in a court declaration that Dr. Jan’s actions were “negligent and preventable.” Dr. Jan admitted to having Demerol at his clinic but denied mistakenly administering it instead of a local anesthetic.

In addition to the criminal charges, the Wangs are pursuing a civil lawsuit against Dr. Jan and South Coast Global Medical Center for wrongful death, medical malpractice, and fraud. Dr. Jan reportedly told a representative from The California Post that he had retired from medicine. He graduated from the National Taiwan University College of Medicine in 1967.

Upcoming Court Date

Dr. Jan is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on May 1st.