Thief allegedly steals tricycle from child with rare neurological disorder
By Gio Insignares
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LAWNDALE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A Lawndale family needs help identifying a man who allegedly stole a special tricycle from a little girl with a rare neurological disorder.
Security camera footage caught the man stealing the trike from Elisabeth Booth’s front porch early Thursday morning.
“I was shocked. I was sad,” Booth said.
Booth said her 7-year-old daughter Alli frequently uses the trike to get around the neighborhood and to go to nearby parks.
“I don’t know what sort of low human being you have to be in order to take a special needs kid’s adoptive trike,” Booth said.
Alli has a rare neurological disorder called KCNMA1, which is linked to channelopathy. The disease causes epilepsy, dyskinesia, developmental delay, as well as speech and motor issues. Booth’s daughter was also diagnosed with autism and is non-verbal.
“She has very weak lower extremities,” Booth said. “We’ve been working with physical therapists her whole life to try and build muscle tone in her legs, and the bike is the perfect way to get her to do that.”
The bike also helps strengthen Alli’s legs so she can get better at running. Booth bought the bike used for $1700 more than three years ago and can’t afford a replacement right now.
“We’re just going to have to walk for now until somebody identifies who took the bike and we can get it back,” Booth said.
The security video shows a dark van driving by the house before parking at the corner of the street. A man gets out and makes his way to the family’s driveway. He takes the bike and walks away with it before throwing it into the back of his van and driving off.
“Bring it back. It’s needed. She loves her bike. She misses her bike. Bring it home,” Booth said.
Booth said she filed a police report. However, police have not arrested anyone yet. She’s hoping anyone who sees the video and perhaps recognizes the man or the van and identify him to the police.
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