SAN DIEGO, California – A nurse has been acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges related to the death of an inmate at a women’s jail in San Diego County. However, a jury was unable to reach a verdict regarding a doctor also facing manslaughter charges in connection with the same incident.
After deliberating for just over two days, Danalee Pascua, 39, was found not guilty by an El Cajon jury of causing the death of Elisa Serna at the Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee on November 11, 2019.
In addition, jurors voted 9-3 in favor of acquitting Friederike Von Lintig, 59, the physician on duty the day of Serna’s death. Von Lintig will return to court for a hearing on Wednesday to determine if the case will be retried.
Serna, 24, died shortly after collapsing in her cell in the jail’s medical observation unit.
Prosecutors alleged that Pascua left Serna on the floor of her cell for about an hour before calling emergency medical personnel. They also claimed that Von Lintig provided substandard care for Serna, who was displaying symptoms of drug and alcohol withdrawal, including vomiting and seizures.
While prosecutors argued that Serna’s condition could have been treated, they claimed she was often ignored or accused of faking her symptoms.
A county medical examiner determined that Serna died from complications of chronic polysubstance abuse with a contributing factor of early intrauterine pregnancy.
Defense attorneys for both Von Lintig and Pascua argued that their clients were being scrutinized with the benefit of hindsight. They contended that Von Lintig had an incomplete understanding of Serna’s condition when treating her, as it was her first day attending to the inmate. Pascua’s attorney maintained that the nurse followed standard nursing protocol and that Serna’s position on the floor did not contribute to her death.
The case highlights the issue of deaths in custody and the scrutiny faced by medical professionals and sheriff’s deputies. The high rate of deaths at San Diego County jails has drawn criticism, with a scathing report published by the California State Auditor in 2022, which identified deficiencies in the county’s inmate care policies and practices.
Both Von Lintig and Pascua had their licenses suspended as a result of the charges. Furthermore, another doctor who treated Serna at the jail also faced an accusation from the state medical board.
Serna’s family, like many others affected by in-custody deaths, has filed a civil case against the county, which is ongoing in San Diego federal court. The trial involving Von Lintig and Pascua represented a rare instance of criminal charges being brought against medical providers in relation to an inmate’s death.