LOS ANGELES — A disabled man who requires a wheelchair for mobility is suing Bellflower property owners, alleging disability discrimination and failure to uphold Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
Francisco Duarte filed a complaint Jan. 3 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Sabina Lopez, Jenifer Labrador, Teresa Perez Sandoval, and Does 1- 10, alleging they failed to provide full and safe equal access to its facilities for people who are disabled.
According to the complaint, in October 2017, Duarte suffered difficulty, discomfort and frustration at the Tacos Y Bionicos Imperio Restaurant in Bellflower as a result of the wrongful conduct of the defendants. The suit says they failed to provide full and equal access for disabled persons to the services and goods that they are offering in their property or business.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants failed to ensure that accessible facilities were available and ready to be used by persons with disabilities, and failed to remove the architectural barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from utilizing the property.
Duarte seeks trial by jury, damages, injunctive relief, actual damages and a statutory minimum of $4,000, attorney fees, litigation expenses and costs of suit. He is represented by attorney Isabel Masanque of Center for Disability Access in San Diego.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 18-cv-00031