Jurors in Los Angeles found Riverside County resident Libby Adame, 55, guilty of second-degree murder and practicing medicine without a license in the death of Malibu actress Cindyana Santangelo, who appeared on the TV shows E.R. and Married with Children and died as a result of silicone oil injections in March 2025.
The decision came after a two-week trial in which prosecutors explained how Adame posed as a cosmetic specialist and gave Santangelo silicone injections, resulting in a deadly embolism inside his Malibu home. The actress, known for her turns on ER and Married With Children, died shortly after the treatment.
During testimony, Santangelo’s husband, Frank Santangelo, described discovering his wife convulsing and claiming Adame fled before paramedics came. Prosecutors claimed that Adame was well aware of the risks of silicone injections but persisted in executing them despite lacking medical credentials.
J. Michael Flanagan, the defense attorney, maintained that Adame was only a consultant for licensed physicians in Mexico and was not responsible for the injections that killed Santangelo. Jurors rejected the claim.
Adame’s conviction adds to a worrying history of illegal surgeries under her name. In 2024, she was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the 2019 death of Karissa Rajpaul, 26, of Sherman Oaks, who died as a result of unlawful buttock injections. Adame and her daughter, Alicia Galaz, who aided with the procedure, spent less than a year in custody after earning credit for time served and electronic monitoring.
Adame fled a South Gate salon in 2018 while paramedics treated another lady who died as a result of a similar operation, according to evidence presented in the most recent trial. Prosecutors said the event demonstrated she was aware of the risks years before Santangelo’s murder.
Deputy District Attorney Lee Cernok informed jurors that Adame had been clearly cautioned before her 2024 trial that she may face a murder charge if another client died in her care. Adame denied administering the injections and asserted that she was unaware of who did.
Santangelo’s husband has already filed a wrongful death complaint against Adame. Sentences are expected in the coming weeks.
Leave a Reply