SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday that criminal charges have been filed against 57-year-old Friederike Von Lintig, who was a physician on duty at the Las Colinas Detention Facility on the day of 24-year-old Elisa Serna’s death in November 2019.
Von Lintig was arraigned in court Wednesday morning in El Cajon. She is charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Last year, the same charge was brought against a nurse at Las Colinas, Danalee Pascua, who allegedly was in the room when Serna fell during a seizure and did not take her vitals or move her, but instead, left her on the ground in the cell for about an hour, during which time she died, according to the D.A.’s office.
Due to the criminal case, the Serna family was given access to view the video of Elisa’s death and they say she was having seizures during the five days she was in custody.
“She fell and hit her head hard against the wall and hit her head on the ground. A nurse and a deputy came and they just stood over her, watching her. They didn’t do nothing to help her, nothing to attend to her,” said Elisa’s sister, Star Serna. “And they left her there in that position where she ended up dying, suffocating, because they didn’t help her or move her.”
In a medical examiner’s report, Serna’s family learned Elisa had been pregnant at the time of her death. They filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county in 2020.
“I was very angry and upset because you got to be heartless to treat somebody so disgusting like that,” said Star.
2022: 19 in-custody deaths
There have been 19 in-custody deaths so far this year at San Diego County jails, passing last year’s record number of 18 deaths.
“We’re here to say the Sheriff’s Department, not only has work to do, but they have blood on their hands and we’re here to hold people accountable,” said Yusef Miller, Executive Director of the North County Equity and Justice Coalition, which held a press conference Wednesday outside the Sheriff’s Department headquarters in Kearny Mesa with the Serna family.
“She was the sweetest person ever. I remember she had the most beautiful giggle, the most beautiful smile,” said Star.
“She was just a very smart, kind girl. Loved her family very much. Loved her daughter,” said Elisa’s mother, Paloma Serna.
The Serna family is hopeful for justice, not only for them, but for other families experiencing similar tragedies.
“We need convictions. We need people to be held responsible,” said Paloma. “Because they withhold evidence. They lie to families. It’s a lot of cover up and I don’t think that’s right.
The preliminary hearing for Von Lintig is set for March 2023.
WATCH RELATED: State auditor issues scathing report on San Diego County jail deaths (Jan. 2022).