And You Thought The Coen Brothers’ Quirky Take On Life Was Out Of Touch With Reality

There should be a special charge added to offenses perpetrated by criminals who prey on people without legs:

A homeless man is accused of tying his legless friend to the bed in a Grasmere motel, hiding his prosthetic legs so he couldn’t get up, and stealing his property as he lay bound.

Carl Hughes, 33, committed the bizarre theft in the early morning hours on April 19 in the Cosmopolitan Motel at 1274 Hylan Blvd., police allege.

Hughes’ friend, 43-year-old Joseph Valente, was letting him stay in his room in the motel, according to authorities.

At about 2:10 a.m., Valente awoke to find himself tied at the chest with an electrical cord, police allege.

His prosthetic legs and his wheelchair had been moved away from the bed, a law enforcement source said.

Hughes was walking out of his room with a laptop, a debit card, a cell phone and unspecified medication, court papers allege.

Somehow, Valente managed to get free and contact authorities.

Police tracked Hughes to a park bench in Manhattan on Tuesday, and arrested him in connection with the crime, authorities said.

When an officer told him he was being taken to Staten Island to answer for a robbery, Hughes blurted out, “Oh, the guy with no legs!” the law enforcement source recounted.