Nov 18, 2016 2 min read Bensonhurst

Man Steal’s Woman’s Wheelchair In Gravesend, But A Neighbor Steps Up

The thief captured on surveillance footage making off with Margaret's wheelchair. Photo via police — The thief captured on surveillance footage making off with Margaret’s wheelchair. Photo via police

On Saturday, November 12, a man stole a woman’s unoccupied motorized wheelchair.

Victim Margaret Leon, 36, had parked the wheelchair outside the real estate office she works at on 86th Street in Gravesend when the heartless male came upon it, took a joyride in it, and did not return it. CBS reports the chair is valued in the range of $3,000.

Without her wheelchair, Margaret, who has multiple sclerosis, couldn’t leave her home all week.

Margaret tries out her new temporary wheelchair. Photo via CBS's video interview with her — Margaret tries out her new temporary wheelchair. Photo via CBS’s video interview with her

Then, on Thursday, a good samaritan surprised Margaret with a life-changing temporary gift: a wheelchair, CBS reported.

While the loaned wheelchair is a lefty, and Margaret is a righty, she is still very grateful, and says in a heartwarming clip that this model goes even faster than her previous one.

According to Margaret’s interview with CBS, she expects her insurance to supply her with a fresh, right-handed chair in the new year.

As of Friday, the wheelchair stealer is still on the loose. Let’s hope he’s using it for good.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.