Bikes are stolen all the time in Langley; it’s an epidemic in Metro Vancouver.
But one Langley mom wants a thief or thieves to know the impact that stealing a bike can have and who they are stealing from.
Jo-anne Morris’ daughter, Cayla, has faced a lifetime of challenges in her 14 years. She has struggled to thrive since birth and faced years of medical appointments, tests and hospitalization.
She was 12 years old when doctors at B.C. Children’s Hospital diagnosed her with a rare disorder called chromosome 17P 13.1 microduplication.
Up until this summer there was only one other person in the world known to have the same condition — a boy in Italy.
A baby in Poland has also since been diagnosed.
The condition means Cayla is intellectually disabled and she also she has hypotonia, hyporeflexia, OCD, a bit of ADHD, and she has short-person stature.
In April 2013, The Times told a story about Cayla and her coin drive, which raised money for B.C. Children’s Hospital.
When Cayla learned to ride a bike last year, it was a benefit to both her physical health and her emotional well-being, said Jo-anne.
“Cayla has been enjoying riding her bike, and with her challenges that she has, this has been a huge accomplishment for her.
“She has recently been diagnosed with border line type 2 diabetes, so we are focusing on her physical fitness to help control this.”
Cayla’s bicycle was locked up out front of the family’s townhouse because there aren’t a lot of storage options.
“It has been locked up with a bike lock, as well as locked to our structure out front,” said Jo-anne.
Sometime between 3:30 and 7 a.m. on Aug. 10, someone took bolt cutters to the lock and took off with Cayla’s bike.
“She was so upset,” said Jo-anne.
“I just want that person to realize the impact they had, stealing this bike.”
The next morning, at 5 a.m., the suspect came back — believed to be looking for more bikes. Morris’ neighbour caught him and held him until police arrived and arrested him, said Jo-anne.
Apparently the suspect is known to police.
Despite the suspect’s arrest, the whereabouts of Cayla’s bike’s is still unknown. The family would like to have it back.
It’s a one-year-old white mountain bike. It wasn’t fancy but it was well-loved, said Jo-anne.
Anyone who may have seen the bike or knows anything about this crime is asked to call Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200.