Police ask public for help to find Edmonton senior's stolen custom-designed tricycle
Edmonton police are hoping the public can help find a customized tricycle stolen from a 68-year-old man with cerebral palsy.
Surveillance camera footage shows the trike was stolen from a storage locker in an underground parking garage near 93rd Street and 101st Avenue between 3 a.m and 4 a.m on Sept. 4., but Kenneth Thomas didn't notice it missing until Sept. 17.
"The tricycle is a lifeline of sorts for Thomas, who maintains a healthy lifestyle by training and competing in marathons with it," police said Wednesday in a news release.
Investigators have released an image of the theft in progress along with a photo of Thomas on his tricycle in hopes that someone can provide information leading to its return.
Edmonton Paralympic athlete Amanda Rummery lost two customized bikes in the same way in late August.
On Thursday city police were able to return the bikes to a "very happy owner."
"A good Samaritan recognized the two bikes from previous media coverage, and contacted police with details regarding their whereabouts in southwest Edmonton," police said Thursday in a news release.
The bikes are modified for Rummery who had her arm amputated following an ATV accident when she was 18.
"Adapting to riding a bike with one arm was certainly difficult, though these bikes brought me independence and are very special to me," she said.
Rummery, a Canadian record holder in the 100M, 200M and 400M Paralympic track events, uses the bikes to cross train but she was sidelined after their theft.
Her dream is to represent Canada at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games.
