The family said they want justice for Laura Avila.
A Texas woman who was placed in hospice care following plastic surgery complications in Mexico has died and her family wants the doctors involved charged with murder.
Laura Avila, a 36-year-old real estate agent from Dallas, traveled to the Rino Center in Ciudad Juarez on Oct. 30 to get a nose job and a breast implant replacement.
Avila’s sister, Angie, told Inside Edition Laura sustained global brain damage and went into cardiac arrest after the anesthesia that was added to her spine to numb her body shot up to her brain.
Angie posted a tribute on Facebook to her sister on Saturday.
“My angelic sister/second mom/best friend & Heartbeat left us today around 8:20AM,” the post read. “My heart aches, and I truly don’t know how or if I’ll ever overcome this pain.”
After being transported from the Rino Center to a local hospital in Mexico for four days, Avila was taken to a hospital in El Paso, Texas, and was then moved to hospice care on Nov. 16.
Avila’s fiancé, Enrique Cruz, came to the clinic to pick her up after the surgery but was told to wait for the anesthesia to wear off. It wasn't until hours later that he was informed of her condition.
Now, Avila’s family wants justice and has hired attorneys in both Mexico and Texas to pursue possible legal action.
The family’s Texas attorney, Larry Friedman, spoke out in a statement following Avila’s death.
“So that her death is not in vain, people should think of Laura before they look for cross border discount surgery,” he said. “They should do their homework and investigate the experience, training and track record of anyone BEFORE they sign up. Always LOOK before you leap!"
Angie said her sister had done prior research on the clinic and decided to go when she did not see anything alarming. She was also comfortable going because they had often visited their grandparents in that town growing up.
“We’d love to see the clinic shut down,” Angie said. “We are hoping that these people lose their licenses. I hope they end up behind bars for what they did to my sister.”
Cruz told the CBS affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth they are seeking charges of negligence and murder.
“I’m kind of numb right now with everything that is going on and trying to be strong for the family,” he said.
The Rino Center did not respond to InsideEdition.com's request for comment. The center is being investigated for negligence after the surgery, according to Newsweek. Officials reportedly seized Avila's medical records from the facility.
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