Consumer Watchdog Reports: Former Bakersfield OB/GYN Arthur Park Trial Begins Today in the Death of Bakersfield Mother Demi Dominguez

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The trial for the death of Demi Dominguez is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, marking seven years since the heartbreaking loss of the 23-year-old Bakersfield mother. The case, brought by Demi's mother against her doctor Arthur Park, will be heard at the Superior Court of California, County of Kern, in the Bakersfield Metropolitan Justice Department, Dept. 17, with opening statements expected on Wednesday.

The legal team representing Tracy Dominguez includes lead attorney Courtney Rowley, along with John Kawai and Patrick Logan, of Trial Lawyers for Justice. 

"Demi Dominguez went to the hospital with warning signs, trusting her doctors to protect her and her unborn son," said Courtney Rowley. "She was sent home undiagnosed and untreated. Days later, both were dead. We cannot undo the harm done or give a husband and father back his wife and son. But a jury can now hold those responsible accountable."

According to the lawsuit, Demi began to exhibit unmistakable signs of preeclampsia and sought care at Mercy Southwest Hospital's labor and delivery unit. Arthur Park was the on-call OB/GYN, yet he failed to visit Demi, assess her condition, or provide any diagnosis. After a 13-hour hospitalization, Demi left with no diagnosis and no understanding of her critical condition and the danger she faced. Just two days later, she suffered a seizure while sleeping. She was rushed to the hospital where her baby Malakhi was delivered by post-mortem C-section. Demi died before she reached the hospital. Her baby tragically died 13 hours later.

According to the lawsuit, At the time of Demi Dominguez's tragic death, the southern Central Valley had the highest maternal mortality rate in the state. Arthur Park, the physician involved in this case, had a history of disciplinary actions with his licensing board. The Medical Board had already put him on probation due to the deaths of two infants and had suspended his license after two mothers lost their lives under his care. He was placed on probation again for the death of another young mother, Celeste Ortiz, who was also just 23 years old and died three years before Demi. 

For seven years Consumer Watchdog worked closely with Tracy Dominguez and many families in the Central Valley to expose these facts, confront the broader maternal mortality crisis in the region, and ensure Demi's case became a high priority for the regulatory board. After Tracy filed her complaint with the Medical Board of California against Arthur Park, she attended every medical board meeting with a growing group of families to highlight the critical issues surrounding maternal mortality in the Central Valley and advocate for necessary reforms. Thanks to their work, and facing disciplinary action by the board and state attorney general, Arthur Park agreed to surrender his medical license after 25 years of putting mothers and babies at risk in Kern County.

"I was a grieving mother. I never imagined that I would become a patient advocate fighting for the rights of mothers in the Central Valley," stated Tracy Dominguez. "I learned that in order to effect change in honor of my daughter I needed to come forward and advocate."

According to the California Department of Public Health's Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Division's regional trends in pregnancy-related deaths data, the southern Central Valley, extending into the San Joaquin Valley, tragically holds the highest maternal mortality rate in California at 28.2 deaths for every 100,000 live births.

"After connecting with a mother in Bakersfield whose daughter lost her life before delivery, Tracy Dominguez reached out to me, seeking justice for the death of her daughter, Demi," shared Michele Monserratt-Ramos, the Kathy Olsen patient advocate with Consumer Watchdog. "We launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the critical issues of maternal health and mortality in the Central Valley, while also uniting with other families to develop plans for accountability." This initiative brought about a focus on the Central Valley, resulting in the creation of a Central Valley Maternal Death Review committee and a program tailored for Medi-Cal pregnant patients.

You can read more about Tracy's daughter's story here, and her grandson's story here.

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog