Marina del Rey thieves caught on video stealing bike given to autistic child by Make-A-Wish
When the Make-A-Wish Foundation gave a 12-year-old girl stricken with severe autism and a life-threatening medical condition an expensive tandem bicycle this past spring, it was also a gift to her mother, who cherished their rides along the beach in Marina del Rey.
But thieves snatched that gift from Mia Timbrello and her mother, Yolanda Rangel. In the wee hours of Nov. 30, two men stole the electric bike from the condo complex where it was being stored in the 4200 block of Marina City Drive.
Now the Sheriff’s Department is enlisting the public’s help in catching the scofflaws, who were captured on video surveillance struggling — with eventual success — to heave the cumbersome three-wheeled bike over a locked gate at the complex around 2:30 a.m.
“We really would like to get this bike back for this little girl,” said Detective Keysha Gipson of the Marina del Rey sheriff’s station, which issued a press release about the theft on Wednesday. “The bike is so unique you can’t miss it — it’s bright fire orange.”
Mia and her mother live in Whittier, but the bike was stored at a friend’s place in Marina del Rey because they enjoyed taking rides along the beach between Santa Monica and Venice. They last rode a couple of weeks before it was stolen.
“The weather was beautiful,” Rangel said. “My daughter had a grin from ear to ear.”
Mia was born with a medical condition called necrotizing enterocolitis that causes tissue death in the bowel. The condition was so severe she underwent an organ transplant at age 11/2 that replaced her liver and intestines. Rangel said she wasn’t expected to survive the procedure.
“My daughter is a miracle and shouldn’t be here,” said the single mother, who works in sales. “She fought for her life.”
After the procedure, Mia’s body rejected the organs, and she lost some of her hearing. Over the years, doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center — where the transplant occurred — recommended that the family contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Rangel did, but there was one problem: Mia’s autism left her unable to verbalize a wish.
But the organization and the family worked together to find the perfect gift. It eventually came down to either a bounce house or a bicycle. As a test, the group brought Mia a tandem bicycle to see how she would react.
“The smile on Mia’s face was just priceless,” Rangel said.
The decision was easy. The Make-A-Wish Foundation put in an order for a bike designed specifically for Mia and her mother. The bike — valued at $3,000 to $5,000 — arrived in April.
“I live on a hill, so they put an electric pack on it to help me pedal up the hill,” Rangel said. “It looks like a chariot.”
To give the impression she was steering, Mia rode in the front seat of the bicycle, which has two wheels in the back for added stability. Rangel — and sometimes Mia’s older sister — rode in the back, where the actual steering took place.
Detective Gipson said the delay between the theft on Nov. 30 and Wednesday’s press release owes to some miscommunication about the process of reporting the crime.
“This was reported to the condo complex security first — that’s why it is coming late,” she said.
Because Mia is nonverbal, she hasn’t asked about her prized possession.
“She has pointed when we see a bike,” Rangel said. “And I’ll think, ‘Awww, she wants to ride a bike.’ ”
Rangel, 40, said if the thieves aren’t caught, she hopes they at least gave the bicycle to a child who is just as deserving as Mia, who turns 13 on Feb. 6.
Anyone with information that could lead to the recovery of the customized bicycle and the identity of the suspects involved is encouraged to contact Detective Keysha Gipson of the Marina del Rey sheriff’s station at 310-482-6022. Those who want to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at, 800-222-TIPS (8477).