Bonita plastic surgeon pleads guilty to manslaughter in connection with patient’s death

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A Bonita-based plastic surgeon has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aiding and abetting the practice of medicine without a license in connection with the 2018 death of a patient.

Carlos Chacon entered his guilty plea in court Monday morning and agreed to terms of a three-year prison sentence and a lifetime suspension of his California medical license. He was charged with second-degree murder.

Prosecutors alleged that Chacon left his patient Megan Espinoza to suffocate for hours in critical condition at the Divino Plastic Surgery Clinic in 2018 while he treated other patients. Espinoza had suffered cardiac arrest during a breast augmentation procedure.

She died six weeks later.

READ MORE: Doctor says he was “astonished” by patient’s condition during hearing of doctor accused of murder

“Megan Espinoza was a jewel of the community. She was a kindergarten teacher. She left behind a loving and caring husband and two children,” Christian Jagusch, the doctor and attorney who represented Espinoza’s family in court proceedings, told ABC 10News in previous reporting on this story.

KGTV

During court testimony at an October 2023 hearing, a former Divino employee testified that Chacon instructed her to inject Espinoza’s breasts with an anesthetic, even though that employee had no formal medical training. The former employee further testified that toward the end of the procedure, something went wrong and “the monitor started making noises.”

She said Chacon continued the surgery even when Espinoza’s breast turned a bluish-purple color. Despite the patient’s condition, Chacon left the room for 10 to 20 minutes, according to the former employee’s testimony.

“I asked (the nurse) if we should call 911, if someone should call, and she said, ‘No, that was doctor’s orders,’ and we had to wait for him,” she testified.

Jagusch said that after Espinoza’s death, Chacon was able to renew his license twice and was able to continue treating patients despite the charges. He was later barred from performing surgeries by court order, but was allowed to continue treating patients for other procedures.

The nurse in this case, Heather Vass, has already pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

RELATED: Medical Association accuses Bonita doctor accused of murder of making false statements about his qualifications

Chacon will not be taken into custody on Monday; his sentencing is scheduled for September 20.

“This case has been going on for over six years. Nothing can replace the life of Megan Espinoza. By entering into his confession, Dr. Chacon has accepted his role in the outcome of the case,” Chacon’s attorney said in a statement. “He wants closure for Ms. Espinoza’s family, as well as his own.”