“She said, ‘Antonio, you have to sign a document because if anything happens to you, I have to get in touch with your family in Brazil,” Ruas testified through a Portuguese interpreter about the moment Hernandez, 57, allegedly persuaded him to sign the legal document. Hernandez — who was described as a “lifeline” for senior tenants in a New York Times profile — started to become “very friendly” with Ruas after his partner died, stepping in to help and even accompanying him on a few trips to Brazil in 2022, prosecutors have said. When he told Hernandez that he’d be going back to Brazil, Ruas testified his super told him she’d take care of selling his apartment for him and helping pull his affairs together — leading him to sign over power of attorney.
Author: Kyle Schnitzer
Published at: 2026-01-13 22:14:21
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