By Lindsey Belsky, KERO 23 ABC NEWS BAKERSFIELD
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Seven years after the deaths of Demi Dominguez and her newborn son, the family’s wrongful death case against an on-call OB-GYN and a Bakersfield hospital has reached trial.
Demi Dominguez was 23 and pregnant in 2019 when she sought treatment at Mercy Southwest Hospital with swelling and high blood pressure.
Her family alleges the on-call OB-GYN, Arthur Park, never examined her during a 13-hour hospital stay, missing warning signs of preeclampsia.
Park previously told investigators he did examine her.
Demi later sought follow-up treatment at Memorial Hospital. Days after being discharged, she suffered a seizure and died.
Her newborn son, Malakhi, delivered by emergency C-section, died just 13 hours after his birth. Park later surrendered his medical license.
Demi had been just weeks away from graduating from Cal State Bakersfield. Instead of walking across the stage herself, her mother, Tracy Dominguez, accepted her degree.
In a previous interview with 23ABC, Tracy described how devastating the loss was.
“I was crawling. I was literally could not figure out how to dress myself,” Tracy Dominguez said.
For Tracy, accountability became about more than her own family. She spent years pushing for stronger medical oversight, helping other families speak out and turning her grief into advocacy.
“But I know that I’m carrying her legacy. I know that she’s saving lives. Malachi is saving lives,” Tracy said.
The case is now before a jury in Bakersfield. Much of the first day was spent on voir dire; the process of questioning potential jurors to determine whether they can fairly hear the case. Opening statements are still to come.
