Dennis Monts thought it was safe to leave his mobility scooter parked across the street from Langley City Hall last Sunday morning (Aug. 16).
He found out differently, after a thief made off with the three-wheel Pride Celebrity model under the gaze of the amazed 63-year-old Langley resident.
“I couldn’t believe anyone would be that heartless,” Monts told The Times after the incident.
A friend was going to give him a ride to Willoughby to do some shopping and he wasn’t going to be gone long.
It was around 10 a.m. that they met in the parking lot across the street from City Hall on the south side of Douglas Crescent near 204 Street.
He didn’t think his scooter was the kind of item a thief would take, but just to be careful, Monts removed the key from the bright red three-wheeled scooter on the parking lot before he got in the car.
When he returned less than an hour later, the scooter was gone.
A witness told Monts he saw someone pushing the scooter away by hand.
As he looked around the parking lot, Monts spotted his scooter, now under power and heading west towards 203 Street and Douglas Crescent.
A big man with dark hair and a dark sweatshirt was riding it.
“He looked like a homeless person.”
Monts shouted at the thief to stop, and attempted to give chase.
“I followed along as fast as I could,” Monts said.
But, with only about 20 per cent lung capacity after working with asbestos during the 1970s, Monts wasn’t able to move too fast and lost sight of the thief around the 7-11 on the corner of Douglas Crescent and 203 Street.
He guesses the crook managed to get the scooter into neutral, then forced the key lock to get it rolling.
He has filed a theft report with the Langley RCMP and will have to rely on friends to get him around until he can replace the scooter.
“I’ve got lots of neighbours (but) it’s kind of an inconvenience,” Monts said.
The stolen scooter is a metallic red Pride Celebrity model electric scooter with a big reflective “Canada” decal on the back and what Monts describes as a “clown-style” horn with an ah-oohga squeeze bulb on the handlebars.
Anyone with information about the stolen scooter is asked to contact Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200. Should you need to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or visit www.solvecrime.ca, or text: BCTIP and your message to CRIMES (274637) or go to Facebook: www.facebook.com/metrovancouvercrimestoppers.