A physician and nurse will stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges related to an in-custody death of a woman at the Las Colinas Jail in Santee, Calif., NBC San Diego reported July 3.
Friederike Von Lintig, MD, and Danalee Pascua, RN, were charged in the death of a 24-year-old female inmate who died Nov. 11, 2019. The inmate, Elisa Serna, was pronounced dead five days after coming to the facility. She collapsed in her cell in the jail's medical observation unit but was not treated for an hour after the fall, according to the report.
The lawsuit alleges that Ms. Serna had low oxygen levels and was going through withdrawal, and that Dr. Von Lintig and Ms. Pascua knew this but were negligent in treating her. Dr. Von Lintig was the physician on duty the day of her death and Ms. Pascua allegedly witnessed the inmate fall.
Ms. Serna fell with her head bent forward, which could have obstructed her airway, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing. One witness testified that he believed the position was the "proximate cause" of her death; however, others argued the position was not necessarily life-threatening. The medical examiner's office found the inmate died of natural causes related to substance abuse with a contributing factor of early intrauterine pregnancy.
The defendants face up to four years in state prison if convicted. Ms. Pascua has been ordered to stop treating patients and Dr. Von Lintig has retired, according to the report. No trial date has been set.