A Surrey family was trying to do the right thing: sell their wheelchair accessible van to a family that needs it.
But they say a thief stole the vehicle right out of their driveway.
“I was absolutely appalled that in broad daylight someone could come up and snooker you so bad,” mother Chris Costley said.
According to Costley, a man contacted them after they posted an ad on Craigslist to sell their 2006 wheelchair accessible Toyota Sienna and he came by the family home on Friday to check it out.
“He opened the hood and all this stuff and was looking around and he asked for paperwork,” son Casey said. “So I came outside, because I saw him out through the window and as my dad was walking up the ramp, he jumped in the van and took off. Sped away.”
They say the man fled right up 106 Avenue in Surrey.
A new van for Casey has been purchased, but he said the theft has hit the family hard.
“We were trying to sell that one to pay off for the new one,” he said. “We were trying to sell it for a good price so someone could use it too – help someone else out for a cheap price. So it kinda sucks.
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“We had no insurance, my mom just took the storage insurance off. Not much we can do.”
The family paid more than $53,000 for the van back in 2009 and had just put about $4,000 worth of work into it.
They said the thief has robbed another family of the chance at owning a van that could help someone in a wheelchair.
“It affords them some freedom and really that’s the greatest gift you can give. If you can’t give them back their legs, give them some freedom to be able to move around,” Chris said.
“That guy needs to smarten up,” Casey said of the thief. “I don’t know why he would ever steal from someone in a wheelchair or from anyone at all. It’s just crazy.”
The family does not have a good description of the man.
The stolen vehicle is described as a light blue 2006 Sienna with all-black wheels and a lower chassis. Anyone who sees the van is asked to contact Surrey RCMP.
– With files from Nadia Stewart
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