Nationwide — Alicia Stone, a 40-year-old NYPD detective and mother of three from New York City, died a week after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) and liposuction in Colombia. Her husband is now seeking answers about what led to her sudden death.
Stone, a 13-year veteran of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, was found unresponsive in her hotel room in Cali early Thursday morning. She was rushed to Fundación Valle del Lili Hospital but was pronounced dead an hour later. Authorities listed her cause of death as cardiac arrest.
According to the New York Post, Stone had undergone liposuction and a gluteal fat transfer, also known as a BBL, on October 16. After the procedure, she was prescribed blood thinners and pain medication before being transferred to a hotel to recover.
Her husband, Michael Stone, said he plans to request an autopsy and an investigation into her death. “The doctor who called me from Colombia just called me and told me my wife had just passed away,” he said. “She didn’t have any information to tell me when I was asking her… Something just doesn’t add up.”
Michael shared that Alicia seemed healthy before her surgery and had even told relatives the day before her death that she was doing fine. “To be called Thursday and told that she passed away, that is just shocking and hurtful,” he said.
A fundraiser for her family described Alicia as a devoted mother and dedicated public servant. “Alicia’s kindness, courage, and compassion touched everyone she met, both in and out of uniform,” the message read. “Her unexpected passing has left a tremendous void in the lives of her family, friends, and fellow officers.”
A Brazilian butt lift, or BBL, involves transferring fat from other parts of the body to the buttocks. Experts caution that while rare, complications such as fat embolisms can be deadly if fat enters the bloodstream.
Following her death, the NYPD and U.S. officials reached out to Colombian authorities for assistance. An NYPD detective was also sent to Colombia to help investigate.