Jury clears nurse in woman’s death at county jail, but splits on verdict for doctor
EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A nurse at the Las Colinas Detention Facility was acquitted Friday of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of an inmate in 2019 that also led to similar charges against the doctor on duty at the time.
Danalee Pascua, 39, was found not guilty of causing the Nov. 11 death of 24-year-old Elisa Serna at the detention facility by an El Cajon jury after over two days of deliberations.
The jury did not reach a verdict on the charges against Friederike Von Lintig, the physician overseeing the medical observation unit on the day she died. With the hung jury, it is unclear whether prosecutors will seek a retrial in the criminal case against the doctor.
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Both were accused of negligence in Serna’s death, which happened five days after she was booked into jail. The county medical examiner determined she died from complications of chronic polysubstance abuse with a contributing factor of early intrauterine pregnancy.
In the trial, prosecutors argued the two failed to adequately treat Serna in the final hours of her life while she was experiencing seizures, vomiting and other symptoms of withdrawal. They said she was accused by the medical staff of faking her condition.
Prosecutors alleged Von Lintig “did next to nothing to treat her, besides placing her in one of the cells of the “medical observation unit.” Serna suffered multiple seizures in the hours leading up to her death, but prosecutors said the doctor did not respond to calls for assistance.
A few hours after Von Lintig left for the day, when Pascua’s shift started, Serna endured another seizure, prompting her to collapse and hit her head on the wall. Prosecutors said Pascua failed to take her vital signs after her fall, instead leaving the cell to sit at the nearby nurses station.
About an hour later, Pascua noticed Serna was pale and did not appear to be breathing. She was pronounced dead shortly after additional emergency medical personnel arrived.
The attorney for Von Lintig argued their client was unaware of the full scope of Serna’s condition, as Nov. 11 was the first day she began treating her and she said she had not witnessed or been informed of the seizure symptoms or vomiting.
Meanwhile, Pascua’s counsel said the nurse did not do anything that led to her death in the time she observed her and was following standard protocols. They added that she was only briefed about her situation an hour before she collapsed and did not actually witness it happen.
While Pascua was cleared of criminal liability, a federal lawsuit brought by Serna’s family against the county remains ongoing. It is one of several pending cases in connection to deaths at San Diego County jails.
“Every day it’s a daily fight to just get the justice that she needs,” Serna’s mother, Paloma Serna, told FOX 5 at the beginning of the trial last month.
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The high rate of in-custody deaths has drawn extensive criticism over the years, including a scathing report from the California State Auditor that said the inmate care policies and practices within the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department were failing to prevent these incidents.
In a statement after the verdict, SDSO officials said they had the “utmost respect for the jury’s decision” in the case while expressing sympathy to Serna’s family and those impacted by her death.
“Providing for the security and safety of those in our custody, and those working in our facilities are amongst the highest priorities for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department,” the statement continued.
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