AnaMaria Ávila Bugarin had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills to prove what seemed obvious to most of the people around her: She didn’t have dementia.
So the 76-year-old showed up impeccably dressed for her final exam with a neuropsychologist, according to court records. Tearful and distraught, she explained how a quarrel over real estate had destroyed her family and landed her in a fight for the most basic human right.
First, she claimed, her daughter had hit her as their property dispute boiled over. Then, her daughter petitioned to get her declared incompetent.
Such ugly family battles can be common in California. What makes Ávila Bugarin’s story unique is that the person who tried to strip her of her autonomy is now Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías, who sits on her chamber’s eldercare committee — the legislative body that’s supposed to protect seniors.
CalMatters investigative reporter Byrhonda Lyons sifted through stacks of court records in Contra Costa County and found that:
- Before Ávila Farías rose to become an assemblymember, she faced a temporary restraining order for elder abuse after allegedly hitting her mother.
- Two medical doctors and a neuropsychologist concluded that the mother did not have dementia, an opinion also shared by her other children.
- Ávila Farías ended her conservatorship attempt only after her mother agreed to sign over real estate in a settlement agreement.
Byrhonda came to this story as part of her ongoing investigation into the conservatorship system in California.
Melissa Brown, an elder-law professor emeritus at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, said Ávila Farías’ attempt to place her mother in conservatorship looks like “a weaponization of the process.”
Additionally, the records showed that Ávila Farías and her husband have filed for bankruptcy three times on behalf of themselves and their company since 2011 and the assemblymember provided a vastly different explanation of the property in question to the courts than she did to the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Roger Salazar, the assemblymember’s spokesperson, said in a written statement that there “has never been a judicial finding that Anamarie Farías engaged in any wrongdoing.”
- Salazar: “California conservatorship proceedings commonly involve complex family dynamics.”
CalMatters events: Join us Aug. 5 in Riverside for a free conversation about how California will educate its future workforce. CalMatters’ Adam Echelman will moderate a discussion with health, education and workforce leaders. Register here.
CalMatters and inewsource are also hosting a conversation on Aug. 13 in San Ysidro about the Tijuana River contamination crisis, an environmental emergency affecting millions on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Register.
Other Stories You Should Know
Utilities push ‘wildfire survivors’ bills
Who speaks for California wildfire survivors?
That question is hanging over a last-minute wildfire legislative package that California’s largest utilities want from Gov. Gavin Newsom, writes CalMatters’ Levi Sumagaysay. They put together a campaign they’re calling “Wildfire Survivors First” — a name that angers actual wildfire survivors who sometimes blame utilities for the devastation they experienced.
Legislators have not released any bill language, but fire survivors and a consumer advocacy group allege that the bills would limit compensation for fire victims; eliminate insurance companies’ right to recover wildfire costs from utilities; and cap attorneys’ fees, which makes it harder for fire survivors to get representation.
Insurance groups also oppose the measures, arguing that if they can’t recover wildfire costs from utilities, they will have to raise premiums.
A Newsom spokesperson would not confirm whether the legislation would do what critics say. In the 2025-26 legislative session alone, California’s three major utilities — San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric — donated a total of $1.2 million to state legislators, according to CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database.
The dispute over the bills is happening as California’s wildfire season heats up: On Sunday the Dove Fire in Sonora forced hundreds of households to evacuate. Read more from CalMatters’ Rachel Becker.
Never too early to think about voting
We’re rolling out our November voter guide now to help you make informed decisions and vote with confidence this fall.
Our guide has updated information on statewide races, ballot measures and campaign finance data. We refreshed our design to make it easier to compare candidates and browse the guide on your phone.
We also have new quizzes to help you distinguish between the two Democrats running for insurance commissioner, as well as how to vote on a trio of conflicting tax measures.
But that’s not all: Over the next few weeks, we’ll update more propositions, post more quizzes and add a few other new surprise features to the guide. So stay tuned and check back with CalMatters to know more.
California Voices
Ever since UC San Francisco’s takeover of Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, the hospital has moved key pediatric services away from Oakland — forcing families to travel across the Bay for specialized care, writes Paola Portillo, a clinical social worker and therapist at the UCSF children’s hospital.
Other things worth your time:
Voter ID backers sue CA attorney general over ballot description // Los Angeles Times (paywall)
Newsom hasn’t endorsed California Forever. His administration just came close // San Francisco Chronicle (gift link)
PG&E wants customers to fund a $26.6M shareholder reward // San Francisco Chronicle (gift link)
To recruit teachers, CA school districts are building homes // The New York Times (gift link)
The LAPD has quietly stopped putting many public records online // Los Angeles Times (paywall)
ICE arrests of Indian nationals surge in Sacramento region. Advocates say Sikhs targeted // Abridged (free)
Chico launches internal investigation into data sharing with federal agencies // ChicoSol (free)
The tortured history of an SF ballpark that’s finally becoming housing // The Wall Street Journal (gift link)
