Married Long Island squatter sidled up to elderly dementia-suffering gay bachelor after striking up $3k-a-week 'arrangement' to care for him then was seen at NYC parties wearing his fancy watches

A squatter holed up inside a $2 million New York house wormed his way into the life of its elderly, gay, dementia-stricken owner after striking up an arrangement to care for him.

Brett Flores, 32, moved to New York City from Los Angeles in 2019 to work as a caretaker for ailing watch executive Bernard Fernandez at his home in Douglaston, Queens.

A source told the New York Post that Fernandez had been suffering from brain bleeding and was in the early stages of dementia when Flores was hired as his caretaker.

The source said that Flores then forced other people out of the home and and was seen attending parties in New York wearing watches belonging to the elderly man.

Fernandez died in January 2023 aged 83, and Flores is now engaged in a legal row with Susana and Joseph Landa who bought the house last year - with Flores claiming the late Fernandez left him the property. 

The source told the Post that he had known Fernandez for 20 years and was in a relationship with him when Flores, a male model, first arrived on the scene. 

Brett Flores, seen here, moved to New York City from Los Angeles in 2019 to work as a caretaker for ailing watch executive Bernard Fernandez

Flores says he acted as live-in carer for Bernard Fernandez (pictured), an elderly gay bachelor who died last year aged 80, and insists he's entitled to the house

The $2 million house in Douglaston that Flores refuses to leave despite new owners Joseph and Susana purchasing the home in October 2023

He said: 'I started seeing in various social media posts of him wearing really high-end watches that I know belong in the house.

'He gets a huge ad campaign with Park and Ronen. He’s all over social media, hanging out with gay celebrities at nightclubs. That's not what he was hired for.'

Shortly after Flores arrived, the man's relationship with Fernandez started to fall apart, recalling: 'I lost the man that I loved, and I couldn't do anything to save him.'

The man added that initially the relationship with Flores had worked well, saying that he first seemed like a good fit. 

Fernandez had gone through 'various nurses' before the pair came in contact with Flores through a relative, the source added.

He said: '[Flores] reached out later in the spring that he was going to be in New York because he had a photoshoot. 

'He was only in town for one day. And because of a connection with his relative, I met him for lunch. In the beginning, he was very charming. It was a great relationship.

'[Fernandez] was reacting positively to allowing [Flores] to work him out and get him up and walking', the man added.

Flores is seen here alongside his wife Elena Crociani. The pair are understood to have a new born child 

The man added that initially the relationship with Flores had worked well, saying that he first seemed like a good fit 

The house has fallen into disrepair, with white painted splattered across the property and the yard ripped up 

The Landas say they bought the home in Queens as they know the neighborhood well

In July of 2020, Flores was then hired full-time and started staying inside the home. 

The source claimed that once he had landed the full-time role which came with a salary of $3,000 a week, Flores started acting differently. 

The man alleges that Flores was seen leaving the home in high-end cars and left Fernandez at home for hours on his own. 

Shortly after, he claims to have seen the caretaker partying in images on social media. 

Flores then managed to get the man out of the home and away from Fernandez after obtaining an 'order of protection', which was signed by Fernandez. 

The man added: 'My hands are tied legally. It was just horrible. [Fernandez] was very vulnerable. 

'Mr. Flores would walk around the house in underwear and things like that. I don’t know what happened when I was not in the house. But ultimately, Brett became his whole world.'

The source claims that Flores worked to 'isolate Fernandez' and made sure nobody was able to get into the house, including his close friends. 

The man claims that Flores called the police on him multiple times and had him arrested for allegedly breaking the protection order. All charged were dropped. 

Flores has filed for bankruptcy and claims Fernandez bequeathed the mansion to him - which the family's attorney claims is false as it was actually left to a nephew 

A note purportedly left by Flores on the door of the home told the new owners they 'don't have my consent to enter,' and said their attempts to contact him would be 'interpreted as harassment' 

Despite being forced from the house, doctors continued to phone the man as he was listed as the main emergency contact for Fernandez. 

The man added: 'The pharmacist was overly concerned because his [Fernandez’s] insulin had not been picked up.

'[He] died alone. I wasn’t able to be with him. There was no funeral. There was no memorial. There was none of it. It was horrible.'

Following his death, the house would go on to be sold to Susana and Joseph Landa, both 68, last October. 

The Landas say they bought the home in Queens as they know the neighborhood well, and had relatives that lived in the area that could help their disabled son Alex if something happened to them. 

But they have been unable to move into the mansion for over four months, with Flores filing for bankruptcy to delay trial while he claims Fernandez bequeathed it to him when he died. 

Amid the ongoing delays, the Landa home has fallen into disrepair, as exclusive DailyMail.com images earlier this week showed.

The Landas say they have been forced to foot the bill for thousands of dollars in utilities and bills while Flores lives rent-free.

Splattered white paint has been left on several doors, windows and even security cameras.

Susana Landa has been in and out of landlord tenant court trying to get Flores out of the home 

Joseph Landa bought the home on the quiet residential street for his wife and his disabled son 

The family decided to move to the neighborhood because they had relatives who lived in the area who could help with their disabled son, Alex, if something happened to him

A note purportedly left by Flores on the door of the home told the new owners they 'don't have my consent to enter', and said their attempts to contact him would be 'interpreted as harassment.'

While the home has fallen into disrepair as the Landas still can't move in, the Landas also claim Flores was advertising rooms in their home-to-be on rental sites.

In the online listings, which appear to have been deleted, Flores advertised 'The Prince Room' for $50 a night to males, female, couples, families or students looking for a place to stay.

His rental services had even garnered three reviews, suggesting that Flores could have hosted paying renters at the Landa's home. 

Attorney Dennis O’ Sullivan, who represents Flores, said: ‘There's definitely more to it... the buyers are not the victims they claim to be.‘

On Saturday, O’ Sullivan also said that Flores has a newborn child who is suffering from a lung disease. It remains unclear if the child is living inside the home with him.