LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police have made a break in a case involving the theft of a car that contained a specialized wheelchair and leg braces belonging to a special needs child.
According to an arrest report, 40-year-old Donna Romero was arrested just before 2 a.m. on Saturday.Â
Louisville Metro Police says she was spotted driving a black 2017 Hyundai Sonata on East Indian Trial near Indian Oaks Circle, off Poplar Level Road.
The description and registration on the car matched that of the vehicle reported stolen by Heather Helms. It had been stolen from a neighborhood on South Sixth Street in Beechmont between 3:30 and 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18.
The thief or thieves made off with more than just the car. It contained a specialized wheelchair and leg braces that belonged to 6-year-old Ayden Helms. Ayden has a rare muscle condition that prevents him from straightening his legs. For Ayden, getting around is tough without the use of leg braces or his wheelchair.
On Wednesday, Ayden was crying on his mother's shoulder due to the loss of the wheelchair.
"Not only did they take from me and my family, but they took from a 6 year old boy," Heather Helms lamented.
But his tears turned to joy on Thursday when Sgt. Allan Wolf with the Louisville Metro Police Department showed up with part of the chair. Sgt. Wolf miraculously found the wheelchair earlier that afternoon during a patrol near Newburg.Â
That gesture alone earned a big hug and thanks from Ayden.
"You're best," Ayden told the officer.
"You're the best," a smiling Wolf responded.
Ayden's father, Christian Helms, said the wheelchair, once repaired, will allow Ayden to get to and from school, go on walks and generally live a more normal life.
"It means a lot," Helms said. "I mean, it shows that, you know, there's still people that actually care out there."
When police found the wheelchair, the wheels were missing.Â
Heather Helms says when officers stopped Romero in the stolen car early Saturday morning, they found the wheels in the trunk. The cushion to the wheelchair and the leg braces are still missing.
According to the arrest report, police found a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine in Romero's purse.
She's charged with receipt of stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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