Riverside County woman sentenced to 15 years to life after actress dies from botched butt injection
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A Riverside County woman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the death of Hollywood actress Cindyana Santangelo, who died after receiving silicone injections in her buttocks.
Libby Adame was sentenced Wednesday after she was convicted last month of second-degree murder and practicing medicine without a license.
In March, she administered the injection that killed Santangelo, an actress who appeared on “Married … With Children” and “ER.” She also appeared in Young MC’s “Bust a Move” music video. Santangelo died of silicone embolism.
Adame’s defense attorneys argued that she did not do it. They suggest that the procedure was done by someone else, and Adame was only there for a consultation. They argue that the timeline of events does not provide enough time for the procedure to have been done.
Meantime, prosecutors and investigators pointed to inconsistent statements from Adame and messages between her and Santangelo discussing their upcoming appointments as evidence that she was there to administer the injections.
In 2024, Adame and her daughter were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for illegally injecting silicone into another woman, Karissa Rajpaul. Rajpaul died after developing an embolism.
Adame and her daughter, Alicia Galaz, were sentenced to prison, but a judge subsequently ordered their release after determining they had already completed their sentences with credit for time they spent under electronic monitoring. In that case, jurors acquitted the two of the more serious charge of murder.
Silicone injections into the buttocks are not FDA-approved. The agency warns it can lead to serious side effects and even death.
Following the guilty verdict last month, Santangelo’s husband Frank told Eyewitness News that Santangelo — a mother, wife and actress — received justice. He described his wife as beautiful inside and out, and said she saved lives through their drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.