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NYPD Searches For Scooter Thieves In NYC

NEW YORK (CBS 2/1010 WINS) -- Ellie Krach moves around just fine in her apartment but whips around the City on wheels, something heartless thieves didn't care about. Someone swiped her brand new Victory 9 scooter which she'd had for just a week, and making matters worse, as CBS 2HD's Sean Hennessey reports, it happened in front of her church.

"I just didn't think somebody would take a scooter from a person that's disabled," Krach said. "The two together, it's a sad combination isn't it?"

The incident happened Thursday morning. Krach parked her scooter at the Jan Hus Presbyterian Church on East 74th Street, where she went to visit the pastor,  and when she returned, her $1,000 wheelchair was gone.

"I guess if you're stealing something you're really not thinking about what it's in front of. You're thinking about getting it and getting it away from there," said church member Ray Bagnuolo.

Witnessing the swipe was Rueben Sabillon, a porter who was working across the street. "Somebody came with a minivan and they took the scooter. They put the scooter in the van and they're gone."

Sabillion told Krach what he saw, but when the 86-year-old gave police the information, even the Pennsylvania license plates, she was told the van was probably untraceable because a gang was using stolen vans to steal.

Knowing she's probably out $1,000, Krach was using a borrowed set of wheels and wasn't getting too upset about it, knowing things could have been worse.

"That I could have been on it and been hit by a car and been killed or hurt," Krach said.

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