Leslie Armstrong
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief
A motorized wheelchair worth approximately $15,000, belonging to a recent York graduate, was stolen outside a Village home Saturday, September 22 around 6 p.m.
Raymond Dell’Aera, owner of the wheelchair, left the chair in the garage loop behind a friend’s home on Saywell Avenue close to Keele and Finch. When he returned to get his chair, it was missing.
“I was shocked,” he says. “I had a period of disbelief for the first minute.”
Dell’Aera, who has suffered from muscular dystrophy since birth, relies heavily on his motorized wheelchair for transportation. He says his walking distance range is 15 to 20 metres, but without his chair, he cannot leave his Etobicoke home.
He says he was genuinely surprised it was stolen. As per his routine, he had been leaving the chair outside for several years, and never had a problem.
Through social media and media coverage, Dell’Aera’s story has spread, prompting his friends and a few friends to start a charity to raise enough money to replace the chair.
A Toronto Police investigation is ongoing.
