Las Vegas woman dies after botched back-room cosmetic operation
A woman has died after botched buttock enhancement surgery in the back room of a US tile business.
Elena Caro, 42, of Las Vegas, was pronounced dead on Saturday at North Vista Hospital in North Las Vegas, Clark County coroner’s office said.
Her cause of death was not immediately determined, pending toxicology tests and an investigation.
Two Colombian nationals were later arrested trying to board a plane back to their home country.
Ruben Dario Matallana-Galvas, 55, and Carmen Olfidia Torres-Sanchez, 47, were arrested as part of a murder investigation late on Saturday at McCarran International Airport, police said.
Ms Caro’s daughter, 17-year-old Janet Villalovos, said she told Matallana-Galvas to take care of her mother when she dropped her off for the procedure.
“He told me everything’s going to be fine, don’t worry,” Ms Villalovos said.
She said her mother had facial botox injections a week earlier by the same people.
Police identified Matallana-Galvas as a doctor, but the state had no information on file on him or Torres-Sanchez, said Douglas C Cooper, executive director of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners.
Under questioning, Matallana-Galvas told detectives he injected Ms Caro with a gel substance, and she walked away from his office, according to a police report.
Elizabeth Flores, an aide to Mattalana-Galvas, told police he called and told her something had gone wrong, and she told her husband to drive him and Torres-Sanchez to the airport, the police report said.
The two men are being held without bail at Clark County jail pending a court appearance on Tuesday.
Ms Caro also used the name Maria Orrozco, police said.
