California Abortion Center Owner Charged With Unlicensed Medical Practice 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 28, 2008
Los Angles, CA (LifeNews.com) — Officials in Los Angeles are pursuing a case of practicing medicine without a license against southern California abortion business chain owner Bertha Bugarin. Los Angeles police began the case last fall but details are only now coming to light after a pro-life organization obtained records from authorities.
A special unit of the LA Police Department called the Health Authority Law Enforcement Task Force raided a handful of area abortion centers last August.
There, they found 47-year-old Bugarin and her sister doing abortions and both were arrested.
According to a September 1 statement by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Bugarin allegedly managed four abortion businesses and has been charged with practicing medicine without a license.
The office said Bugarin is charged with five felony counts of practicing medicine without certification and two misdemeanor counts of dispensing medication without a license.
Her sister, Raquel Bugarin, 49, of Los Angeles, is charged in the same complaint with five felony counts of aiding or abetting the practice of medicine without certification.
The office said that when abortion practitioners were not present, Bertha Bugarin "allegedly performed medical procedures on five patients."
"In some incidents, she was allegedly assisted by her sister, Raquel Bugarin. The incidents allegedly occurred in February and March," the district attorney said.
Bertha Bugarin was arrested Aug. 1 and released on $500,000 bail. Raquel Bugarin was released on $100,000 bail. If convicted, each faces up to five years, eight months in state prison.
They were ordered to stay away from the Clinica Medica Para La Mujer De Hoy abortion businesses Bertha runs, but officials with the pro-life group Operation Rescue say, two months after her arrest, Bertha Bugarin was photographed at the abortion chain’s Chula Vista office in San Diego County wearing a stethoscope around her neck.
"Since then Bugarin’s stay away order has been expanded to include the Chula Vista office and police have asked pro-lifers to notify them immediately if they observe her there again," the pro-life group told LifeNews.com on Monday.
The abortion chain was temporarily closed then reopened under the name Clinica Medica Feminina Para La Communidad. Operation Rescue says abortion practitioner Nolan Jones now claims to be the new owner.
The Bugarin sisters are scheduled to make a court appearance on March 3, 2008.
"Bugarin has had a heck of a time keeping abortionists over the years. It looks like when she couldn’t get one of her quack abortionists in the office, she did the job herself," OR president Troy Newman said.
"Bertha is a predator who has a mercenary attitude about abortions. Laws mean nothing to her, as is the case with so many abortionists," he added. "She prefers to target Hispanic communities with her mills, presumably since women there may not be in the country legally and will be less likely to report problems. The sooner Bertha and all of her cohorts are convicted and behind bars, the better."
