‘She misses her chair:’ Custom motorized wheelchair badly damaged after theft in Puyallup

PUYALLUP, Wash. – A Puyallup family is working to repair their daughter’s custom motorized wheelchair after it was taken on Feb. 4. 

According to the Puyallup Police Department (PPD), a Kia Sorento was stolen from a residence in the 2400 block of 17th SW. Inside the vehicle was the victim’s 10-year-old daughter’s electric wheelchair. The Kia was later recovered at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, but the wheelchair was not located.

“There were just a few pieces of the wheelchair in the back of the car when we found it,” said the 10-year-old’s dad Brandon Sales.

Sales told FOX 13 that the wheelchair is his daughter Tirzah’s lifeline. At age 3, she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

“Wheelchairs are everything,” he said. “Especially for her. It is freedom and independence.”

Sales said shortly after his vehicle was recovered, the wheelchair showed up. He said someone had dropped it off with police.

“To have it back is everything,” he said.

Unfortunately, whoever had the wheelchair damaged it. The family believes it was in the process of being scrapped for money.

“They bent the frame and the axel,” he said. “That’s not an easy thing to fix. We’re talking about a child’s customized wheelchair. Brand new it costs up to $20,000.”

Right now, Tirzah has a loaner chair.

“We’re actually using the wheels of her old chair on the loaner,” said Sales. “As a 10-year-old would, she’s missing her chair deeply. She’s looking for every way to change the color of the rental chair, which is not really an option.”

To help with repairs, the family has set up a GoFundMe page.

As for the person who returned the wheelchair, the family told FOX 13 they’re grateful that they had some change of heart.

“It shows the suspect showed some remorse,” said Sales.

Puyallup Police said it’s working with another police agency to identify suspects involved in the case. A department spokesperson said they do have a person of interest, but so far, here have been no arrests.