The story about the Upland nanny who wouldn’t leave despite being fired went viral on Friday.
Marcella Bracamonte thought the 64-year-old woman she hired as her live-in nanny three months ago was too good to be true. And she was right.
The Bracamonte’s hired Diane Stretton to help watch their three children and do chores around the house in exchange for room and board. But they said after a few weeks Stretton told them she had COPD and couldn’t help around the house because it was hard to breathe.
“She never helped me prepare a meal, but she was there to eat it,” Marcella Bracamonte said.
When they tried to get her to leave, she threatened legal action.
“I didn’t fire her because of her illness, I fired her because of her insubordination and laziness,” Marcella Bracamonte said.
The family has since learned that Stretton has a lengthy history of filing lawsuits — many directed at members of her family — including her son.
“Never in a million years would we ever have thought this is who she was,” Ralph Bracamonte said.
Stretton’s long list of unsuccessful lawsuits has earned her a place on California’s vexatious litigants list.
According to the Bracamontes, they can not force her to leave because once someone has established residency a formal eviction process is required to get them out.
“Basically we have no rights in our home to tell someone to leave if they have a toothbrush here, Marcella Bracamonte said
So the family turned off the cable and internet and started locking the fridge at night.
Police say this is a civil matter and they can’t intervene.
“There’s nothing we can do … legally we will get in trouble and we can lose everything,” Ralph Bracamonte said.
Stretton has threatened to sue the couple for breach of contract, wrongful termination and false imprisonment.
The family hasn’t seen Stretton since Thursday, but said her belongings were still in her room.
They say they are fearful of what her next move will be and want to make sure everyone is aware of tenant laws so this doesn’t happen to someone else.
Late Friday, KTLA spotted Stretton sitting in her car outside the Upland police station.
When she saw our camera, Stretton hid under a blue windshield cover and refused to speak to us.
