Woman injected with fake Botox dies

(03-14) 12:18 PST SALINAS -- A woman who received fake Botox injections from an unlicensed practitioner has died, and the Salinas resident who administered them could face manslaughter charges, authorities said today.

Monterey County sheriff's deputies arrested Martha Vasquez, 39, on Monday on suspicion of practicing medicine without a license, a felony, said sheriff's Sgt. Terry Kaiser.

She is free on more than $100,000 bail, he said.

Kaiser did not identify the victim and said she died several months ago. Investigators recovered the injected substance from her body and have sent it to a lab to have it analyzed. Results are expected next week.

He said the woman's death was related to the injections, and that Vasquez could face felony manslaughter charges.

Investigators know of one other woman who said she received injections from Vasquez that she thought were Botox.

Authorities believe Vasquez advertised her services among the Latino community by word of mouth and administered the injections at her clients' homes.

"This is the way she made her income," Kaiser said.

A license to practice medicine is required in California to administer Botox. The drug is used cosmetically to temporarily reduce the appearance of wrinkles by reducing muscle activity, according to the manufacturer.

Monterey County prosecutors have not decided what charges, if any, to file against Vasquez, a spokeswoman said.

Efforts to locate Vasquez today were unsuccessful.