Santa Ana police are investigating the death of a transgender person, who died from complications related to an injection he received at a “silicone party” in the city, a department spokesman said Thursday.
The victim, who police have not identified, was a 40-year-old man seeking to change his gender, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. He was pronounced dead at 7:06 p.m., Jan. 21, Bertagna said.
The victim went to a “silicone party” at a Santa Ana residence in December when he received an injection of silicone, Bertagna said. On New Year’s Day he admitted himself to an area hospital and three weeks later died of silicone embolism syndrome, Bertagna said.
Hospital officials called the Orange County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office, which notified Santa Ana police, Bertagna said.
“We’re looking into the legality of the administered silicone,” Bertagna said.
Police have asked Orange County District Attorney’s Office to research the issue from a legal standpoint, Bertagna said.
“We want people to know that if you’re going to these parties and these are non-medical people and you don’t know what you’re getting or what’s in these injections then you’re putting your life at risk,” Bertagna said.
The injections at the parties can cost $400 to $1,000, depending on how many people show up for a shot, Bertagna said. That is considerably cheaper than going through legitimate sources, which may or may not administer the silicone depending on a patient’s health, Bertagna said.
— City News Service