They made sure his care was entirely under their control

September 19, 2024 12:55 AM

Everyone was bereft and unnerved at the loss of this soft-spoken person they had been tending to near constantly for months. “I couldn’t believe it,” Cheatham says. “I was so sad that he died. They were telling me that they were hoping he would get over the spell that he was in.” But that day, Flores and Moore also managed to spend $7,017.73 at Ted Baker, $289.85 at Erewhon, $220.50 at Tory Burch, $992.25 at Coach, and $2,477.90 at the Apple Store. They dined at Nobu, too. from The Parasites of Malibu [The Cut; ungated]
posted by chavenet (8 comments total)

$289.85 at Erewhon? What did they get? Two smoothies?

(And parasitic people suck)
posted by drewbage1847 at 2:06 AM on September 19 [7 favorites]

I have a friend who is similarly talented and similarly afflicted with bipolar disorder and occasional psychosis. She has also alienated herself from family and is sometimes taken advantage of by charismatic, parasitic friends and others who I can only describe as sugar babies. It is heartbreaking to watch from 2000 miles away. This Malibu case seems like an extreme version of what’s going on with her. Thank you for posting it here.
posted by infinitewindow at 2:29 AM on September 19 [3 favorites]

So they left his home in Malibu In which they were living because he was becoming too unmanageable. They left him there alone, but had cameras on him and watched him as he was in a serious psychotic state, and didn’t do anything . That is seriously messed up.
posted by waving at 5:38 AM on September 19 [5 favorites]

"Bitcoin specialist", ffs.
posted by sheax0r at 7:17 AM on September 19 [1 favorite]

Both of these grifters had a way of flagrantly tipping their hands. That thing he said about "I've got control of the beach house," and the time she was talking disrespectfully on the phone about the guy she was living with and then just said, "I'm not a bad person." And he gave her another couple of months apparently, rather than booting her straight out. Balls of brass. I get that they probaby didn't have to con the doctor himself all that much, but most people who encountered them seemed to say, "Hmm, that's odd," and move on. Maybe it's common enough at that level of wealth to have hangers-on who are at least a little bit shady that they didn't attract too much notice?
posted by BibiRose at 9:43 AM on September 19 [2 favorites]

"Bitcoin specialist", ffs.

Worse. It actually says, "Blockchain specialist".
posted by dobbs at 10:07 AM on September 19 [3 favorites]

There was a similar story, earlier this year in the LA Times, also a male-female couple, who took over an older, isolated man's (in his 80's) life, including the house. Also occurred in LA, and they dumped his body in SF Bay as part of a vacation that they posted on social media. JFC
posted by honey badger at 11:07 AM on September 19 [2 favorites]

Every sentence in this article packs enough Californianity to give me an ulcer. My fate may already be sealed after reading the word "acroyogi."
posted by jy4m at 11:54 AM on September 19 [7 favorites]