There's good news for a local father after his vehicle was stolen, last weekend, with his daughter's wheelchair still inside.
Phil Hulmes found out early Tuesday that police had located his van in a parking lot near Commonwealth Stadium – the vehicle was found at about 1 a.m.
Hulmes said his 6-year-old's wheelchair and her specialized car seat were also recovered.
“The police were able to locate our vehicle and some of my daughter’s equipment is in there,” Hulmes said. “Some of it is not, but at least she’s able to continue day-to-day life now so I’m pretty excited.”
At some point Friday night, the van was stolen from its parking spot near the family’s Riverdale home – leaving Hulmes’ six-year-old daughter Shaileigh without the tools she needs to function in her day-to-day life.
Shaileigh suffers from a rare genetic condition, and can’t easily get around without a wheelchair or walker, and couldn’t leave home without the specialized car seat.
Police have taken possession of the van for fingerprinting and inspection – the walker, and some of Hulmes’ tools were not found with the van
“It’s a great feeling to not only find the vehicle, but to find the contents, the wheelchair and the car seat, it’s a really important find,” EPS Staff Sgt. Randy Wickens said.
Hulmes said he expected to be able to pick up the vehicle later in the day.
With files from Laura Tupper
