A 14-year-old Mexican, Paloma Nicole Arellano, has died following a secret cosmetic breast enlargement surgery reportedly carried out by her mother’s boyfriend.
According to reports Paloma’s biological father, Carlos Arellano, only uncovered what happened during the girl’s funeral.
Local media reported that the teenage girl died on September 20, 2025, following complications arising after undergoing a breast job, also known as breast augmentation or augmentation mammoplasty in Tijuana.
AZCentral reported that the after-effects of the surgery were critical: cardio-respiratory arrest and severe brain swelling that led doctors to induce a coma and connect the 14-year-old to a ventilator. Only then, when the situation was despairing, did the mother decide to contact the deceased father to inform him about his daughter’s condition.
Her death certificate, however, listed the cause as cerebral oedema caused by a respiratory illness, a claim her father strongly disputes.
“Her death certificate falsely stated “illness” as the cause of death in an attempt to cover up the truth,” said Carlos, alleging that the official report was deliberately misleading.
Carlos said he became suspicious after the family received the certificate unusually quickly.
“They gave it to us right away. I don’t know how they did it so quickly,” he said, adding that the speed of the process raised further questions about whether officials were attempting to conceal the true cause of death.
During the funeral, relatives noticed that Paloma’s chest looked noticeably different.
“At the funeral, some relatives told me her breasts were larger than what she had before and when I mentioned it to her mother, she told me it wasn’t true, that she didn’t know anything. That night, I asked her mother to leave the room so I could talk to the girl, to say my goodbyes.
“For some reason, she didn’t want to. I managed to convince her and her entire family to leave, and they did. My sister, my sister-in-law, my mother, and I stayed inside. They examined my daughter, and sure enough: she had breast implants. We have photographs of the implants and the scars. We immediately requested an autopsy,” he said in a statement from the prosecutor’s office.
Carlos went to the prosecutor’s office and reported the incident. He pointed to the doctor, Paloma’s mother, the hospital, and everyone else involved in what he calls a “cover-up” as directly responsible for his daughter’s death.
Authorities later confirmed that the surgery had allegedly been performed by Dr Víctor Manuel, a 45-year-old plastic surgeon who owned a private clinic in Durango and was romantically involved with Paloma’s mother.
He has since been suspended by the Mexican Association of Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgeons while the Durango State Prosecutor’s Office investigates the case.
Arellano accused his ex-wife and her partner of lying to him and attempting to conceal the true circumstances of their daughter’s death.
“I demand that all those responsible be investigated,” he said, calling for justice and accountability for everyone involved in the unauthorised surgery and possible cover-up.
Durango’s Attorney General, Yadira de la Garza Fragoso, confirmed that investigators are looking into the role of both the surgeon and the mother.
“We are investigating a probable lack of care on the part of the mother for placing a minor who was under her care and custody in risky situations,” Fragoso said.
The incident has sparked widespread concern over illegal and unsafe cosmetic surgeries involving minors in Mexico. While the country has no explicit national law restricting plastic surgery for those under 18, such procedures typically require the written consent of both parents.
A final autopsy report is pending as authorities continue the investigation.
