A mother of seven from Texas is furious after arriving home Tuesday night to find one of her children missing from her family’s house.
Angie Martin told local news that once she learned the whereabouts of her daughter, Hope Martin, 27, she was in disbelief.
Angie explained to KTAB/KRBC that at some point while she was at work, Hope, who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, was picked up from their home by a car salesperson and driven to a local dealership to purchase a vehicle.
“I got a text from her father, and he was like, ‘I got a couple texts from someone at Honda’ she had apparently called them multiple times and said I want to buy a car,” Angie said.
Hope previously expressed a desire to drive, but Angie said the two discussed that it wasn’t up to either of them whether or not Hope was capable of driving. Instead, it was the decision of the state’s motor vehicle department.
The 27-year-old decided to take matters into her own hands and reached out to a local Honda dealer.
“As you are as a mom, I was so angry that this had happened and that a strange man would have the audacity to come and take my daughter, who obviously is cognitively impaired, out of my home without my consent, let alone to do something so drastic,” Angie said.
Angie blames the dealership’s management for how they handled the situation, but Nicholas Varela, vice president of All Star Honda, said his dealership was simply helping a customer purchase a car and did not want to infringe on their civil liberties.
“We are prohibited by law to discriminate or refuse service to anyone based on their membership in a protected category, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Varela said. “As a family-owned dealership, we do our best to act in the best interest of our customers and deeply regret any harm this may have caused. We apologize for any concern this may have caused and appreciate the community’s understanding and support while we navigate this matter.”
Meanwhile, Angie remains concerned about how communities interact with disabled people.
“You and I have inhibitions and limits and when we start to stray outside of them, we’re aware of it. Hope doesn’t have those. I provide that externally for her…I’m always trying to thread that needle between her rights as a human being and her safety.”
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