Couple Arrested After Alleged Attempt to Rob Store — and Getaway in Wheelchair

Hefty bags may want to add the convenient use as robbery disguises to its list of product benefits. Noemi Duchene, 44, and Luis Del Castillo, 45, were arrested in what may have been the pathetic robbery attempt this year: Duchene left her wheelchair outside the store and masked herself with a trash bag.

When she pulled out a kitchen knife and demanded everything in the Estate and New Jewelry store, the owner, Linda Bradley, began by pulling out a stun gun. She proceeded to chase Duchene around the store, noting “I knew I could outrun her, because she was obviously not very quick.” A customer tackled Duchene and Del Castillo was found outside the store with the getaway wheelchair.

Here is the question for my ADA lawyers: can Duchene charge that the store was clearly not wheelchair accessible under 42 U.S.C. § 12181–12189 for the robbery? If they had a proper ramp, this robbery might have gone over more smoothly.

Source: NBC