A Houston woman was charged with manslaughter for performing an unlicensed silicone butt injection that killed a woman, officials said.
Lisa Fernandez, 47, was arrested on Tuesday for her involvement in the death of 38-year-old Marja McClendon of St. Louis, Missouri, who died days after her appointment with Fernandez at her apartment in 2018.
The self-identified “beauty consultant” had been working out of her home since 2004, according to court documents, obtained by KSDK. Fernandez obtained the silicone illegally and administered it incorrectly with a syringe.
McClendon was left in pain and feeling sick after her first round of injections on April 24, 2018, but she returned the following day to receive her second round of injections after Fernandez refused to give her a refund.
The second procedure had to be stopped multiple times due to McClendon being in severe pain, officials said.
McClendon began losing her breath and coughing up blood before she was admitted into a local emergency room. However, she went back to St. Louis before doctors were able to complete her medical evaluation. She was readmitted to a hospital in Missouri soon after, where she died on April 30, 2018.
The official cause of death was ruled as complications from a silicone pulmonary embolism. Homicide detectives were called in to investigate.
Fernandez was picked up for a traffic violation on Tuesday. Prosecutors said that she had admitted to the case while she was in custody.
Fernandez appeared in court in Harris County, Texas on Wednesday morning where her bail had been set at $40,000. She was denied a bond. Harris County Assistant District Attorney said she believes there might be other victims, and urged them to come forward.
“We are concerned — cause this is a trend right now to receive buttock injections — that there may be other victims. We would encourage anyone to come forward who has received buttock injections,” said Harris County Assistant District Attorney Nancy Ta, according to KSDK.
The FDA and St. Louis Police Department are also investigating.
