Woman gets daughter's wheelchair back after van theft

By Alexis Wiley
Fox 2 News Reporter

DETROIT -- Shatanya Lockett had given up hope.  She had spent more than a month searching for her van and her daughter's wheelchair.  It turns out both of them were at a tow lot almost the whole time.

"It's been rough.  I have to get a ride to work, back and forth.  My daughter, she needs to go to the doctor," Lockett said.

Her van was stolen from the parking lot of a Detroit liquor store on September 13.  Her daughter's wheelchair was inside.  She reached out to Fox 2 for help just a day after the theft.

On Saturday, Lockett got the call.  Detroit Police informed her that her van had been found and was waiting at Executive Towing on Detroit's east side.

"I couldn't believe it because I just bought a brand new car the day before," she said.

However, the towing company delivered the real shocker.  A clerk there told us Lockett owed $467.

Why so much?

"They said they had my car for 42 days," said Lockett.

It turns out a Detroit Public Schools police officer found the van abandoned on September 16, three days after it was stolen and just one day after another heart-wrenching plea aired on Fox 2.  It appears the thief might have a heart because the van had some damage, but the wheelchair inside was untouched, and for 42 days, Lockett had no clue because the officer called a tow truck, but may not have filed a report with Detroit Police.

"They should do their job a little bit better. I shouldn't have to suffer and wait 42 days to get notified, and then have this large bill," Lockett said.

Until this is resolved, Executive Towing won't release the van, but they did give Lockett the wheelchair.

"I'm just glad my baby got her wheelchair back," Lockett remarked.

We've been working on this and it appears she won't have to pay that large amount after all. We've been told that a Detroit police officer will contact Executive Towing to let them know about the situation and that Lockett was not notified about her vehicle until just recently and she'll only have to pay a $75 towing fee.