Woman guilty of elder abuse at J & M Happy Guest Home gets home detention, probation

The former owner of a San Diego residential care facility who pleaded guilty to elder abuse charges related to neglect of the business’s residents was sentenced Tuesday to one year of home detention and two years of probation.

Maria Erolina Delgado, 62, was charged last year by the California Attorney General’s Office for leaving the facility, J & M Happy Guest Home, “severely understaffed,” prosecutors said, resulting in multiple residents suffering from bed sores, dehydration and malnourishment.

Maria Delgado is accused of leaving her Mira Mesa facility “severely understaffed,” resulting in residents suffering bedsores, dehydration and malnourishment, reports NBC 7’s Dana Williams.

The AG’s Office also alleged some residents were left in soiled diapers for days at a time.

Delgado pleaded guilty earlier this year to two felony elder abuse counts.

The criminal complaint, which was filed last year, charges Delgado with two felony and two misdemeanor counts of elder abuse involving four different residents, including Marcia Braun. 

The criminal complaint, filed earlier this month, charges her with two felony and two misdemeanor counts of elder abuse involving four different residents, including Marcia Braun. 

NBC 7 spoke with Braun’s son, Andrew Braun, in September 2025. He said his mother began staying in the home in 2020 after being diagnosed with dementia. He had been her caretaker for some time, but when it grew too difficult, he found J & M. 

“The care seemed to be good,” Andrew said. “She seemed to be all right, you know? There was one incident —she got a black eye. I think they told me she was getting up, wandering and slipped on the tile floor.” 

“They have everybody set up in a room,” Andrew said. “It’s usually one person per room — might have been two, depending on what they were doing. They fed them, they cleaned them, they were pretty much bedridden though, you know?”

Andrew was unaware of the charges at the time but said he was “not surprised,” in general, and that you have to “believe everybody” is doing the right thing. Marcia was eventually moved to a facility in Vista, her son said. 

All the conduct at J & M Happy Guest Home allegedly occurred in 2020, according to the complaint. Delgado could have been sentenced to four years in prison on the felonies and another year for the misdemeanors