SAN ANTONIO – An Indiana family who recently relocated to San Antonio woke up to a huge disappointment Friday morning.
They say thieves stole their son's customized wheelchair -- a senseless crime that has them wondering why and how they'll help their son in their new home.
Danette Hunter said her 9-year-old son, Erik Miller, has cerebral palsy and relied on the custom green wheelchair to get around.
"That's his lifeline," she said. "(It was) his only way to go anywhere."
She said it was stolen from his family's front porch overnight, sometime between 3:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.
"It's very heartbreaking that ... someone would do this to a child," she said.
Adding to the pain, Hunter said her son doesn't understand his costly connection to the outside world is gone. She said the wheelchair has been heavily modified to fit Erik's specific needs.
"He thinks it's broke now and getting fixed," she said.
While police investigate, the only question Hunter has is why.
"I don't know what it would be used for someone else," she said. "I don't know what they would get out of it."