Heartless Thieves Make Off With Blind Man's Tandem Bike
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An Upper East Side couple was stunned to find that a tandem bike that they rely on for transportation was stolen. The bare stoop outside of their East Harlem apartment is now a painful reminder of the crime perpetrated by a heartless thief.
"It was like being kicked in the stomach," Alexandra Catherine told CBS 2's Don Champion on Thursday.
Catherine said she stepped outside on Wednesday morning to find that her cherished tandem bike had been stolen.
"It's like you built something so beautiful and someone comes along and smashes it to pieces," she said.
It wasn't the two seater's charm or it's green color that made the bike so important; instead it was the experience of riding the bike with her blind husband that Catherine loved so much.
Charles Catherine has been dealing with a serious eye disease for his entire life. Two years ago, shortly after marrying Alexandra, his condition worsened.
Riding the tandem bike in Central Park gave the couple hope.
"This bike was like a complete liberation. I was becoming myself again," Charles said.
The Catherines parked their bike outside of their building and locked it up with a thick chain. They said never though that it would be stolen.
"I really hope they'll feel guilty and realize it was a mistake, and I know it's a dream, but maybe get it back," Catherine said.
The couple is hoping that someone will find it in their heart to return the bike and they have even considered offering a reward.
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