Family of Little Girl with Autism Allegedly Removed from Epic Universe, Accused of Shoplifting Say It Was Misunderstanding (Exclusive)

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• A Florida mother says her family was removed from Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe theme park due to allegations of theft

• Nikki Daou told PEOPLE that her 7-year-old daughter had to leave a gift shop when she handed the barcode label of an item the girl was holding to her husband so he could go buy it.

• He claimed that within minutes, an employee arrived and accused the family of stealing and then escorted them out of the park.

A Florida mother claims her family is “shaken” after an alleged theft involving her autistic daughter at Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe.

“This was a traumatic, horrific, and embarrassing situation that we will remember for the rest of our lives,” Nikki Daou, associate attorney at Morgan & Morgan, told PEOPLE.

The family’s attorney, Eric “Rick” Block of Morgan & Morgan, tells PEOPLE that the alleged incident occurred while Daou was visiting the Epic Universe theme park on Dec. 27. That day, Daou visited the park with her husband Alain and their 7-year-old daughter.

Before the visit, the family made arrangements with the park to accommodate their daughter’s disability. The family said they went in person to meet with the accommodation team and were given a card and stroller stating their needs. Daou says the card explains that the 7-year-old boy is having a hard time with long lines, closed spaces, large groups of people, lights and other distractions.

During their visit, the family was sure to stop at Super Nintendo World, since their daughter’s current “obsession” was Mario. While exploring the grounds, the family popped into the 1 Up Factory gift shop to find some items to bring home.

According to Daou and the lawyer, the 7-year-old boy found a keychain he loved there, valued at $16.

Shortly after, Block says, “a group of” people “began piling into the store,” and the mother “realized this was going to be a problem for her child.”

Daou and Block told PEOPLE she removed the barcode tag from the keychain and gave it to her husband. The family claimed that the father continued to browse the store and prepared to shop, while the mother and daughter went out with the keychain in their hands.

Within minutes, Block claimed, an “unidentified” park employee approached the mother and daughter and accused them of stealing. Daou allegedly tried to explain the situation and said her husband was still inside the store with the barcode.

Block claimed the family was then taken to another building, where they were “interrogated” by parking attendants. An employee allegedly warned them against trespassing for a year and instructed them to leave the park immediately.

Later, Block said they were “scared to death” while staying at a Universal property and were afraid of being “kicked out of the hotel in the middle of the night.”

A representative for Universal Orlando did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The next morning, Daou says, the family left the hotel and returned to their home.

When the family returned to Jacksonville, Fla., they received a letter in the mail from Universal’s lawyers demanding they pay a $200 civil suit for “intentionally” depriving the park of merchandise without paying. PEOPLE reviewed a copy of the letter provided by the family.

Despite the demand letter, Daou denies allegations that the family tried to steal from the park.

“Whether it was a dollar, $20, or $500, we wouldn’t steal it,” he says.

In response, Block said he sent a demand to Universal alleging “negligence, abuse of process, defamation, and false imprisonment.” But he says the family doesn’t want money. instead, they plan to donate their winnings to an autism-focused charity.

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“We actually just want change. It’s important for people to understand that we don’t want money,” Daou says. But he claims: “I want people to be held accountable for their failure to follow Universal guidelines and procedures when it comes to the ADA and disability.”

Read the original article People