A Riverside County woman who for years administered risky and potentially dangerous silicone injections to her buttocks was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years to life in prison after an actor died following the procedure, prosecutors said.
Libby Adame was convicted in October of the second-degree murder of Cindyana Santangelo, whose television appearances include “Married… with Children,” “ER” and “CSI: Miami.”
Adame was also convicted of practicing medicine without a certificate after prosecutors said she injected silicone into Santangelo’s buttocks, causing a fatal embolism.
Adame’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors argued that Adame carried out the dangerous procedure despite being convicted of involuntary manslaughter last year for administering an ultimately fatal silicone injection to Karissa Rajpaul, 26, in 2019.
At that time, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George Lomeli warned Adame that “she was aware of the dangers that could result” from the procedure.
Adame was sentenced to three years in state prison in that case, according to court records, but was released for time served.
But Adame, 55, continued to perform silicone injections in the buttocks, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Adame administered the injection to Santangelo on March 24 at his Malibu home and Santangelo began suffering medical distress. Her husband, Frank Santangelo, told police the name of the “nurse” who gave the injection was “Libby,” according to court filings.
Court records show Frank Santangelo called 911 after Adame said Cindyana was having trouble breathing.
A video from the home, presented as evidence at trial, showed Frank Santangelo seeing his wife bleeding from injection sites on her buttocks and running to get materials to clean them. He called 911 while his wife was drooling, lying on her side and having trouble breathing, the video shows.
Adame, according to court records, left and took her bag with her.
Adame’s attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, told jurors that his client, known as “the butt lady” or “La Tia,” worked as a consultant for doctors who can legally perform buttock injections in Mexico but did not practice in California, according to City News Service.
Adame’s attorney argued that she did not personally administer the injection and that Santangelo may have already received the silicone injections but hid them from her family.
An examination of Santangelo after his death indicated the injections had been given recently, authorities said.
Prosecutors argued that Adame had been pursuing the procedure for years, citing previous cases in which clients needed emergency care.
During the trial, prosecutors highlighted messages exchanged between Adame and Cindyana Santangelo discussing the procedure, including the timeline and price, according to court filings.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings about silicone buttock injections as the cosmetic procedure grows in popularity. The agency warns that the procedure is not approved by the FDA and can cause long-term negative effects, such as pain, infections, scarring and, in some cases, embolism and death.
After his conviction, Adame’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial. The request was rejected.
