A felony complaint has been filed by the People of the State of California against Defendant Maria Erolina Delgado (DOB: 6/17/1963) in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, Central Division.
The complaint, brought by the California Attorney General’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse, alleges multiple counts of elder and dependent adult abuse under Penal Code sections 368(b)(1) and 368(c). The offenses are alleged to have occurred in San Diego County and other counties in California between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020.
The criminal charges against Delgado are for alleged severe neglect of residents at J & M Happy Guest Home, a residential care facility for the elderly in San Diego County.
J & M Happy Guest Home is licensed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Community Care Licensing Division as an RCFE with a capacity of 6 beds. It is described in public directories as providing “loving and dignified care” in a home setting, with services like assistance with daily activities.
The facility is not rated on state volunteer programs like Choose Well and has no publicly detailed citations or complaints in recent profiles (last updated June 10, 2025, for licensing; August 31, 2025, for citations).
However, one public report from October 30, 2024, notes a fire clearance violation, resulting in an immediate civil penalty assessment. No other historical violations, complaints, or enforcement actions are publicly detailed in available sources, though state databases update quarterly.
Delgado is the owner of J & M and allegedly left the facility severely understaffed, often leaving residents in bed all day in soiled diapers, sometimes for days at a time. As a result of this neglect, multiple residents suffered from bed sores, dehydration, and malnourishment.
The California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) works to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for abuse and neglect of elderly and dependent adults and those who perpetrate fraud on the Medi-Cal program.
The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.