Thief steals wheelchair from elderly Port Orchard woman
»Play Video
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. -- A brazen thief took an elderly Port Orchard woman's mobility when he stole her wheelchair, but the story has a happy ending thanks to a local police officer.
Pauline Williams puts her trust in only a few people.
"That's my main thing, is trust, because I have been really badly burnt a few times," she said.
That attitude is understandable, especially after the events of last weekend. The 77-year old woke up from a nap on Sunday and discovered that someone had walked right into her house and stole her wheelchair. Williams suffers from a condition that makes it too painful to walk most days, so the crime was especially heinous.
Williams is a tough woman, and the theft made her furious.
"I was to the point where it's a good thing where I didn't have any idea who it was because I would have hunted him down, kicked the crap out of him," she said.
When Williams called the police to file a report, officer Donna Main was assigned the case. The problem was there were no witnesses, no description of the thief and likely no chance of getting the chair back.
"Well, I knew that I didn't have anything to go on," Main said.
Main came up with a plan b. She went to the nearby St. Vincent de Paul thrift store and told the store manager about what had happened to Williams. The manager immediately donated a wheelchair.
"So it was probably within an hour that I think we had it delivered, and now the case was officially closed," Main said.
Just like that, Williams had her mobility back, and it was all because an officer did the unexpected. Williams also said she can now add one more person to her small circle of trust.
Wheelchairs can cost around $85 to $100, and Williams said her insurance was only going to pay a portion of the cost, so the donation was a tremendous help.
Pauline Williams puts her trust in only a few people.
"That's my main thing, is trust, because I have been really badly burnt a few times," she said.
That attitude is understandable, especially after the events of last weekend. The 77-year old woke up from a nap on Sunday and discovered that someone had walked right into her house and stole her wheelchair. Williams suffers from a condition that makes it too painful to walk most days, so the crime was especially heinous.
Williams is a tough woman, and the theft made her furious.
"I was to the point where it's a good thing where I didn't have any idea who it was because I would have hunted him down, kicked the crap out of him," she said.
When Williams called the police to file a report, officer Donna Main was assigned the case. The problem was there were no witnesses, no description of the thief and likely no chance of getting the chair back.
"Well, I knew that I didn't have anything to go on," Main said.
Main came up with a plan b. She went to the nearby St. Vincent de Paul thrift store and told the store manager about what had happened to Williams. The manager immediately donated a wheelchair.
"So it was probably within an hour that I think we had it delivered, and now the case was officially closed," Main said.
Just like that, Williams had her mobility back, and it was all because an officer did the unexpected. Williams also said she can now add one more person to her small circle of trust.
Wheelchairs can cost around $85 to $100, and Williams said her insurance was only going to pay a portion of the cost, so the donation was a tremendous help.
You know, I live in Pt Orchard (Manchester) and I have to admit we have some real live lowlifes around here.I had a car stolen out of the driveway a couple of weeks ago, but that's small when compared to this. What do you mean the "case is closed" ?? The thief is still out there, catch the SOB and send him off the jail cause if they don't he'll just keep right on stealing.
Why steal a wheelchair? If you are able to walk into someone's house to do so, you don't need it. The story doesn't say anything else was taken. This sounds like a kid did it. If so, I hope the parents see this story and make their brat return it.
May this thief who did this get struck by lightnigng, hit by a bus, beaten to a pulp until he is wheelchair bound...then have THEIR chair stolen...in that order...except for finding getting a freebee becuase what comes around goes around and the person responsible for this can start his day off with a swift kick in the balls!
I donât get the whole case closed. Iâm glad she got a chair, but there is some worthless waste of h2o walking around out there that deserves to be picked up by his hands and feet and trust back first on top of a fire hydrant, so he actually has a use for his stolen chair.Â
This thief should be taken out back and given a "noodle". He's obviously worthless.
Â
BTW, Elizabeth Dinh, "heinous" means "unspeakably evil". It's usually reserved for crimes committed on the level of Charles Manson, the Green River Killer, etc... I don't know if this crime, nasty as it is, really rates with truly demonic criminal horrors.
A wheel chair? Â Nah! Â Let's get her a power chair!
as April implied I didnt even know that some one can get paid $7689 in a few weeks on the internet. have you seen this site
http://www.LazyCash49.com
Thank you Officer Main and St. Vincent de Paul. To the creep who stole the wheelchair, I hope you end up having to use one real soon.
".... Wheelchairs can cost around $85 to $100 ...."
Â
Hey KOMO - migbht want to do some reasearch on this - my wheelchair cost over $6000 dollars, and unless you get a "transfer chair" (which is NOT a real wheelchair) there is NO WAY you are going to get a wheelchair for the amount you put in your story.
 @LocalLady Yeah, that was lame. Even a simple one is close to $1,000.
Modern life is just trading one set of wheels for another as we age...unless you drive a boat.
Kudos to Officer Main and St. Vincent de Paul. Now that Ms. Williams has another wheelchair I hope she will hunt down the low life thief and, kick the crap out of him. I'll sign up to help her.
CASE IS NOT CLOSED!
"So it was probably within an hour that I think we had it delivered, and now the case was officially closed," Main said.
Â
The case is closed? Realy?
Â
Here's a hug and a new chair and the thug gets a pass???
Is this what we've become in our once magnificent state?
Â
Why YES! YES it IS!
Â
Good job voters.
Â
Â
Â
She has not lost her wits! Body might go but mind in tact!!!
It takes a real low life to steal someone's wheelchair. I hope Karma has an especially cruel for of retribution in store for this creep.
Proof that are more good people than evil in this world...Hopefully the thief will be in need of the chair soon.
Â
And have it taken away from him just as soon, in a place where there is no one to help.
"I was to the point where it's a good thing where I didn't have any idea who it was because I would have hunted him down, kicked the crap out of him," she said.
Â
You go, Grandma!
I'll bet my next pay check that she is way older than 77 years. At least by two decades.
Why? Because she has wrinkles? She mentioned in the article that she had been burnt quite a few times. She has probably had a tough life. It also states in the story that most days she is in such pain that she can"t walk. Constant pain can also age you. This lady is fantastic. Even in her pain she wanted to kick the crap out of the theif. So do I. How dare this person walk into someones house and steal a wheelchair. How low does someone have to sink.
 @memory9 And this matters...how? A Lady is entitled to shave a few years, and what business is it of yours to doubt her?
Likely a meth head looking for some scrap metal to sell for meth. Definitely hit a new low for thieves.
 @Charl317 Maybe, but my first thought was kid wanting to use it for fun times- pushing friends down steep hills, towing behind bike, and amateur film making. That happens in my neighborhood with some kids who have a small wheelchair they play with. I have no idea where these kids got theirs, but I have seen this for the last couple of years on my street.
Good job officer Main! Â Thanks for caring and thinking.
They'll steal almost everything these days...