A plastic surgeon in Mexico has been suspended amid allegations that he performed cosmetic surgery on his 14-year-old stepdaughter just days before her death.
Dr. Víctor Manuel Rosales Galindo is under investigation for alleged malpractice after his girlfriend’s daughter, Paloma Nicole Arellano Escobedo, underwent a breast augmentation, Brazilian butt lift (BBL), and liposuction, according to the Daily Mail.
Paloma’s father, Carlos Arellano, claims the procedures were arranged in secret as a gift for her upcoming 15th birthday on September 12.
Father Says He Learned Truth at Funeral
Arellano told reporters he had no idea his daughter had gone under the knife until her funeral in Durango.
“At the funeral, some relatives told me her breasts were larger than what she had before and when I mentioned it to her mother, she told me it wasn't true, that she didn't know anything,” Arellano recalled, per AZ Central.
“That night, I asked her mother to leave the room so I could talk to the girl, to say my goodbyes. For some reason, she didn't want to. I managed to convince her and her entire family to leave, and they did. My sister, my sister-in-law, my mother, and I stayed inside.
“They examined my daughter, and sure enough: she had breast implants. We have photographs of the implants and the scars. We immediately requested an autopsy.”
Medical Complications After Surgery
Arellano also said his ex-wife, Paloma Escobedo Quiñónez, phoned him a day before their daughter’s death claiming the teen was ill with Covid-19.
However, he believes the surgeries led to her fatal decline. In the days after the operations, Paloma reportedly suffered cardiorespiratory arrest and severe brain swelling.
She was later placed in an induced coma and connected to a ventilator, AZ Central reported.
Her official cause of death was listed as cerebral edema caused by a respiratory illness. But her father strongly disputes that conclusion, insisting the surgery was to blame.
Father Demands Justice
Arellano has publicly accused those involved of attempting to cover up what really happened.
On Facebook, he wrote: “My daughter, Paloma Nicole Arellano Escobedo, just 14 years old, died a victim of an act of criminal negligence at a clinic on Phoenix Street.
“On her death certificate falsely put ‘illness’ as the cause of death, trying to cover up the truth.
“The complaint has already been filed with the Durango Prosecutor's Office. I demand that all responsible be investigated: the doctor, the mother, the hospital, their administrators and those who participated in this cover-up.”
Authorities Respond
Mexican news outlets reported that Escobedo Quiñónez, Paloma’s mother, worked as a nurse at Rosales Galindo’s office.
The teenager’s death has triggered widespread outrage across Mexico, reaching the highest levels of government. President Claudia Sheinbaum has vowed to step in, saying: “Send us the case and we will gladly reach out to the family and see how we can help.”
The Durango Prosecutor’s Office has since confirmed it is investigating the case.