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Wheelchair-bound man robbed

The Capital Times  —  10/06/2008 12:48 pm

A good Samaritan helping a wheelchair-bound man reportedly turned on the man, hit him in the face and robbed him of money and a cell phone on Madison's south side.

Madison police said the mugging of the wheelchair-bound man happened at 9 p.m. Thursday in the 2200 block of Cypress Way.

The victim, a 55-year-old Madison resident, suffered a black eye in the mugging. He said the suspect started out by helping him get a suitcase into a Beltline motel room.

"The victim had expressed (to the good Samaritan) that his wheelchair wasn't working well and he needed a new used one," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. "The perpetrator told the victim he could get him a wheelchair for $35."

The victim went with the suspect to an apartment complex, with the suspect going into an apartment, then returning to tell the victim that the person who had the wheelchair wanted more money.

Thinking he was being conned, the victim said no, so the suspect got the victim's old wheelchair out of the trunk of his four-door, maroon-colored car, and the victim got into the chair.

"The two men continued to argue, and the victim said he ended up getting hit in the face one or two times," DeSpain said.

After striking the victim, the suspect took the victim's money and cell phone, while area residents came to the aid of the victim and called police.

The suspect is a black male, about 35 years old, 5'8" tall, 160-170 pounds, short hair, wearing dark pants and a beige-colored jacket.

The Capital Times  —  10/06/2008 12:48 pm