A mother of an autistic child is pleading with thieves to return a bike that was stolen from her home over the weekend, saying the bike was specially customized for her son.
A mother of an autistic child is pleading with thieves to return a bike that was stolen from her home over the weekend, saying the bike was specially customized for her son.
On Sunday, Mayra Lozano, who lives in Tijuana, Mexico, left her house to head to work in Los Angeles, California, when she got a call saying someone had broken into her home.
“They stole the bike and other things, but I am more concerned about the bike,” she said. “The bike is for my special needs child.”
Her son was born with microdeletion syndrome, autism, femoral anteversion, and hypotonia. These affect his mobility.
“He has a medical problem to where he falls, he breaks his bones,” Lozano said.
She said the bike was used as therapy because her son had just undergone surgery after falling and breaking his leg, hip, and knee. She says the bike is important for his recovery.
“The bike was like his rehab until he starts his therapy,” she said. “All therapies have been on pause because of coronavirus."
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She said the bike is specially made for him after it was prescribed by his doctor and therapist.
“They customized the bike especially for him, for his medical, emotional, and physical needs,” Lozano said.
Lozano said her son now has a lot of anxiety and was sad after finding out his bike was stolen.
“He has a lot of anxiety, he’s been crying, and he’s been saying, ‘Mommy, my stomach hurts, I want my bike back. Why did they take my bike?’ He just wants his bike,” she said.
Lozano hopes members of the community can also help by looking out for the bike, and pleas with the thieves to return it.
“This is not a bike you can find in the store," she said. "If you find this bike on the streets it’s because it's stolen.”
Lozano says she's also very anxious about the theft and her family's safety.
She's worried someone may try to break into their home again.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family to help pay for a replacement.
