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Double Amputee Robbed Of Wheelchair, Wallet In Brockton

BROCKTON (CBS) - Steve Otis, a double amputee, does not like to talk poorly of people. But he is very angry at the men who robbed him of his wheelchair.

He said that only "a lowlife sleazeball," would commit a crime like that.

"I was coming up the sidewalk, one hit the back of my head. One took my wallet and one took my wheelchair," said Otis.

Otis said after the men knocked him down and stole his wheelchair. He was left lying on the ground and crawled on his hands down the sidewalk.

He continued almost halfway up the street, where police found him almost 100 feet away from where his wheelchair was stolen.

"I wasn't gonna stay there it was far easier to crawl up the street to get away cause you don't know if they're coming back," said Otis.

brockton wheelchair stolen
Brockton resident Steve Otis shows the area where he was robbed of his wheelchair. (WBZ-TV)

He called 911 on his cell phone but the officer who found him just happened to be driving in the area.

A firefighter found Otis's wheelchair in an abandoned lot.

Otis lives in the Elmcourt Hotel in Brockton. He has been disabled since a fall five years ago forced doctors to amputate both legs.

Despite what he's been through, Otis maintains a positive attitude.

"To have an upbeat spirit and a good sick sense of humor is the best medicine," laughed Otis.

Brockton Police are investigating the incident.

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