Nightmare Nanny: Diane Stretton Hits Back, Says She Was Fed Dog Food

Diane Stretton, dubbed by the media as “The Nghtmare Nanny from Hell,” has hit back claiming that she has been vilified by her employers, Marcella and Ralph Bracamonte. Alluding specifically to Marcella, she told ABC News’ Los Angeles affiliate KABC:

“She’s vilified me, and really destroyed my life,. It’ll be difficult for me to ever rent a place now that she’s done this to me.”

I always told myself that I would fight if anyone ever tried to victimize me. And this lady has tried to victimize not just me, but my whole family. And I will fight. And you’re not going to take us down.”

Until now, the “Nightmare Nanny” declined to answer allegations that she refused to leave the house after she had been dismissed. Now she alleges that her employers tried to feed her dog food.

The background to this bizarre standoff is that Stretton was hired last March to help care for the three children in the family, in exchange for board and lodging. Shortly after installing herself in the home, Strettton told her employers that she suffered from physical problems which prevented her from working. She then remained in her room, only coming out for meals. She was then dismissed, and given 30 days to leave, which seems extremely generous in the circumstances.

However, 64-year-old Stretton refused to leave and accused the family of elder abuse and improper firing. Police refused to intervene saying the family had to get a court order to legally evict Stretton.

Now, the “Nightmare Nanny” says she is willing to leave under certain conditions: “What I’d like to do is just have a police officer there and have them [Bracamontes] vacate, have the police officer see that I am only taking stuff from my room.”

Stretton told KTLA-TV that Marcella Bracamonte tried to feed her dog food: “She gave the kids three cans of dog food and told them to put it outside my room for my food.” The Bracamontes’ lawyer, Marc Cohen, said Stretton’s accusations were just lies.

It has emerged that Diane Stretton has a long history of involvement in litigation and is even listed on California’s Vexatious Litigant List. This is a register of people who have been found to bring legal action that is frivolous or repetitive.

Most of the actions she brought were against her own family, and last year she even sued her own son! Her father in his will, “specifically and expressly” excluded her from deriving any benefit from his estate.

It is obvious that this is one troubled lady in need of psychological help. But, perhaps the most disturbing feature of the case is the lack of protection people have when inadvertently taking in what is actually a “squatter,” with all the protections that squatters have under the law.

A salutary lesson indeed to be borne in mind by anyone not wanting to find themselves employing another ” Nightmare Nanny.”