PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Police Auto Squad detectives are investigating the theft of a modified handicap van from a home on Urbana Way in Lawrenceville. The vehicle was equipped with a wheelchair lift.
The modified van is the Edwards family’s only vehicle capable of transporting their disabled mother. While they wait for answers, she remains stuck at home.
The family has a security camera at the front of their Lawrenceville home, but the thief appeared to bypass it. The keys to the van were missing from inside the residence and an AirTag attached to the key ring was detached and left on a counter.
Rachel Edwards, the victim’s daughter, said the family believes the thief entered through the back door.
“We think it’s somebody who had knowledge of the house,” Edwards said.
Modifying the van to install the wheelchair lift in the rear of the vehicle cost thousands of dollars.
Edwards said the incident has forced the family to reevaluate their security measures.
“We are going to have to go through the expense of installing a lot more cameras in the house and…this is just really a financial burden,” Edwards said.
The family remains hopeful that the vehicle will be spotted before it is moved away or destroyed.
“We are just hoping that somebody sees it before it gets sold out of state or dismantled or something,” Edwards said.
If the stolen van is not recovered, Edwards said they will have to replace the vehicle or find a transportation service to assist her mother.
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