A disabled veteran in Estero is heartbroken after the three-wheeled bike that was donated to him by the Salvation Army was stolen right out of his yard.
Sam Powers said if the thief would have just asked him to borrow the bike, he would have said yes in a heartbeat.
His pal at the Salvation Army showed up at his home the day before Thanksgiving with the bike: a red, three-wheeled bike with a white basket.
"He said 'We have something for you,' and a nice red bike with a white basket on it. Jeff told me there's a little rust on the basket. I said 'I don't care,'" Powers said.
He loved the bike because it was a way for him to get out of the house and exercise. Powers is disabled.
On Monday morning, when Powers looked out his window, the bike was gone.
"I cried. Why steal from me? Why steal?" he asked.
Powers' bike was locked on the bottom of a picnic bench outside his home. When the thief fame, he was able to lift the bench up and steal the bike.
A similar bike we found on eBay was listed for almost $400. The Salvation Army had Powers' bike made especially for him by a man who refurbishes bikes for people in need.
Powers has this message for the thief:
"Treat people the way you want to be treated. Don't steal from someone."
The Lee County Sheriff's Office sent a deputy to Powers' home, who searched for the bike. If you have any information, call their office at 239-477-1000.
