A 94-year-old man's tricycle has been stolen and St. Petersburg Police are asking for the public's help to find it.
- Someone stole a tricycle at CVS in St. Petersburg
- Trike belonged to Richard Griffin, 94
- Griffin asks suspect to give it back
- Anyone wanting to donate, can send a check made out to SCLEC with Richard Griffin in the memo line at the bottom of the check.
- Suncoast Law Enforcement Charities
- c/o St. Petersburg Police Department
- 1300 1st Avenue North
- St. Petersburg, FL 33705
On July 18, Richard Griffin rode the tricycle to the CVS located at 4260 Sixth Street S. to get some eye drops and eye wash.
He said it's a trip he makes frequently to get groceries and medication, and the tricycle is his only means of transportation.
"Every time I felt like I needed some air, I would just jump on it and I'd go to the shopping center," he said.
Griffin said the trike always got a lot of attention from people.
"They'd say, 'Oh that's a nice trike,' 'I like that color,' 'How fast does it go?'" he said.
Police have released a surveillance video of the trike theft. It shows a man looking at it and then walking away with it. Officers said the images aren't clear enough to identify him. They're also worried that whoever stole it will just dump it once they realize you need a key to start it. Officers said that makes it hard to pawn.
Griffin said he's losing hope of getting it back.
"I won't get it back, I'm sure of that. That trike is gone for good," he said.
He estimates it will cost nearly $3,000 to replace it, and on a fixed income, he said he doesn't have the money.
"Yes, I'm stuck here right now. I can't go anywhere," he said.
He said he could forgive the thief if the person turns himself in and returns the trike.
"If he brings me the trike back, I forgive him because, I mean, the trike is my life," Griffin said.
Anyone with information about the stolen trike is being asked to call the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780.