The family of 36-year-old Megan Espinoza delivered poignant testimony in court on Friday, recounting the profound loss they suffered due to her tragic death during a plastic surgery procedure.
Moises Espinoza, Megan’s husband, expressed his heartbreak, telling the judge, “They’ll never be able to understand the love a mother has.” Megan’s parents also shared their grief, highlighting the lasting emptiness felt by family, friends, and the students she taught as a kindergarten teacher. “I will never again feel the warm embrace of Megan’s hug around my neck,” said her father, David Gorcey.
In 2018, Megan sought breast augmentation at Divino Surgery Center in Bonita. Prosecutors allege that nurse Heather Vass, who was not licensed to administer anesthesia, was responsible for her care. During the surgery, Megan suffered cardiac arrest, but surgeon Dr. Carlos Chacon delayed calling emergency services for three hours, opting instead to consult with other doctors and attend to different patients.
Prosecutors further claimed that Chacon instructed his staff to mislead Megan’s husband about her critical condition. Megan ultimately passed away a month later in the hospital.
Judge Maryann D’Addezio stated, “You violated your oath and trust,” as she listened to the family’s plea for justice. Gorcey urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence of eleven years, stating, “The minimum sentencing of three years seems, well, painfully inappropriate.”
Before his sentencing, Chacon acknowledged his shortcomings as a physician, saying, “I am deeply, deeply sorry for the immense pain and suffering that my failure to fulfill my duties caused to those who knew and loved her.” Chacon had previously accepted a plea deal, resulting in a three-year prison sentence and the permanent revocation of his California medical license—a decision that many, including Megan’s family, viewed as insufficient given the lasting impact of her loss.
In a related case, Heather Vass was sentenced to two years in prison for administering a lethal combination of drugs, including ketamine and fentanyl, that contributed to Megan’s death.
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