Botched butt lift that killed aspiring porn star lands mom and daughter in jail
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A mother-daughter amateur cosmetic surgery team turned out to be more than a pain in the ass.
Libby Adame, 53, and Alicia Galaz, 26, were each sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday for involuntary manslaughter.
The duo were convicted of killing aspiring South African porn star Karissa Rajpaul, 26, with an illegal butt lift at a low-rent Los Angeles home. Rajpaul died hours later in hospital.
According to cops, Adame and Galaz injected Rajpaul’s buttocks with liquid silicone in October 2019.
The bizarre-looking mother-daughter team appeared in court dressed in stylish ensembles with well-groomed hair. Much of their own plastic surgery also seemed to match.
Investigators said that before the duo were arrested in August 2021, they had performed backroom plastic surgery at low, low, low prices on a cash-only basis. Neither had been trained nor had licences.
Prosecutors told L.A. Superior Court that the women had performed hundreds of butt lifts.
Before her death, wannabe sex siren Rajpaul had two previous butt procedures at the hands of the pair. After one procedure, she posted a video of herself to social media.
The amateur surgeons charged Rajpaul $3,500 to $4,000 for the operation. NBC reported that a legal butt lift costs between $10,000 and $15,000.
During the fatal procedure, almost immediately the South African became ill and slipped into unconsciousness. It was later revealed that the chemicals the pair injected her with had entered her bloodstream, causing an embolism.
Mom and daughter dialled 911 — then took off.
“The suspects fled the scene without identifying or informing the paramedics of the cosmetic procedure. … As a result, the victim died in an emergency room with tending physicians unaware of the silicone injection,” the LAPD said after the duo were charged.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton added: “These individuals have no medical training. They’re not experienced and they’re putting people’s lives at risk.”
Mom and daughter’s legal eagles argued that no malice was involved and they were oblivious to the risks.
But the prosecution said Galaz had been working for another salon in 2018 when a patient there died following a bum-boosting procedure.
The USDA estimates that at least one in 3,000 patients dies as a result of undergoing the Brazilian butt lift. It has the highest death rate of any cosmetic surgery procedure.
In addition, Adame was found guilty of three counts of performing a medical procedure without a licence, while Galaz was found guilty of two counts of the same crime.
@HunterTOSun
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