It wasn’t easy but after days of investigating, our officers managed to track down a tricycle that was recently stolen from a disabled senior citizen.
Unfortunately, the trike was found in the slough in three pieces. So, several Watsonville Police officers quickly jumped into action and pitched in to repair John Zurr’s ride.
“It’s part of my life,” said Zurr, who was overcome with emotion when Officer Oswaldo Larios returned the trike in one piece about two weeks following the theft.
Zurr’s longtime friend, Barbara Fernandez said this was the second time in two years the tricycle was stolen.
“I was very angry. My first thought was, ‘Why do people have to be so vicious?’ You know, it took so much away from him,” she explained.
Zurr is a 71-year-old disabled senior citizen who depends on the trike to get to and from his doctor visits. The Watsonville resident was devastated when it was stolen from outside the Dollar Tree on Main Street November 1.
“He had arrived and locked up the tricycle with a bike chain. When he returned back, the tricycle was gone,” said Ofc. Larios.
From that moment, the search was on.
“Later on that week, our officers received information that the bicycle might be located in the slough across from the dollar tree,” explained Ofc. Larios. “Unfortunately, it was discovered in three pieces.”
It was an ending that just could not stand, prompting the department to pitch in and put John’s ride back together again.
“It’s just beautiful and it shows what wonderful people we have that take care of us here,” said Fernandez.
“They’re angels, angels without wings,” replied Zurr.