Fake Cosmetologist Charged in Connecticut Woman's Death After Botched Butt Injections
Authorities allege the suspect performed illegal silicone injections, then abandoned the victim at a hospital.
A cosmetologist has been arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with the death of a Connecticut woman who received botched butt injections. Alicia Leslie, 47, of Mount Vernon, is accused of performing the procedure that led to Maxine Messam, 53, of Bridgeport, suffering fatal cardiac arrest.
According to law enforcement sources, investigators uncovered a text message exchange between Leslie and Messam that indicated they had arranged to meet in Yonkers on February 15, 2022, for the cosmetic procedure. Following the injections, Leslie and another unidentified woman allegedly transported Messam to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Sources stated that Messam was found partially undressed with multiple injection marks on her buttocks, and the two women then left the scene in a van.
At the time of the incident, the two women reportedly told hospital staff that they had found Messam in distress in Woodlawn Cemetery. Messam was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Leslie was arraigned and subsequently released under supervision. Her prior record includes charges of petit larceny in 2000 and two additional counts in the 1990s. She is scheduled to appear in court again on November 4.
The case highlights the dangers associated with illicit cosmetic procedures. In recent years, numerous individuals have died from unregulated silicone injections, particularly those intended for buttock enhancement. Federal agencies have noted an increase in unlicensed practitioners operating in states such as New York, Florida, and California. This incident is part of a pattern that includes other fatalities linked to similar unauthorized procedures.