Hamilton man thanks community for “overwhelming” support over stolen tricycle
- Oluseyi Olomodosi
- 11 Nov 2019
Two weeks after the theft of the tricycle he relies on for transportation, a Hamilton man with limited mobility has expressed gratitude at the “truly overwhelming and surprising” outpouring of support that locals have given him since the theft.
Roberto Da Silva Ribeiro’s tricycle was reported stolen on October 28th. Ribeiro is non-verbal, deaf, and has mobility issues, but has consistently overcome these obstacles in order to remain self-sufficient and maintain independence. The trike had two separate locks on it when it was stolen from the underground parking in his apartment.
It appears that the theft was planned in advance. Surveillance video from the day of the incident shows the suspect waiting outside the apartment’s garage for a vehicle to trigger the garage door sensors so he could access the underground parking. After sneaking inside, footage shows him blocking the garage door sensors before cutting off both bike locks so he could ride the tricycle out of the garage without any hiccups.
Constable Lorraine Edwards explained her belief that the theft was targeted, saying that the individual knew where the bike was and came “equipped and ready to remove the locks.”
A "Comfort Trike" is a male's sole method of transportation & it was stolen from a #HamOnt underground parking garage. It's blue, three wheels & most likely one of a kind in the area. This has significantly impacted the victim's independence. Read more: https://t.co/5rzGEh4ESs
— Hamilton Police (@HamiltonPolice) November 6, 2019
Ribeiro initially felt distraught due to the incident, telling Global News that he felt “hopelessly stuck.” His tricycle was his lifeline to the outside world; without it, he is unable to leave his apartment and attend to basic needs such as groceries and errands. The targeted nature of the incident is especially unsettling to him – and to the community as well.
Once word got out about the theft, locals who had seen Ribeiro getting around on his tricycle immediately began to rally around him and see what they could do to help. Building residents said that they were heartbroken that someone would target Ribeiro. Many of them offered to take him to appointments and groceries. It wasn’t long before someone set up a GoFundMe page to crowdfund a new tricycle for Ribeiro.
The page has already raised $2715, surpassing its goal of $2500 in just five days.
Many of the donors to his GoFundMe have left encouraging comments and well-wishes for Ribeiro. The campaign, messages of support, and genuine sympathy extended to him from his community have been uplifting for Ribeiro, who said in a media release that after seeing the way Hamilton has mobilized to support him, he believes that he’ll be okay.
Anyone who sees the blue tricycle or has information that may help assist in locating it should contact Central Patrol Staff Sergeant at 905-546-4725 or CrimeStoppers.
Comments 0
There are no comments
Add comment