Specialty bike (Catrike) stolen from man w/autism while grocery shopping

Specialty bike stolen from man with autism while grocery shopping YourCentralValley.com

FRESNO, CA – A 28-year-old man with autism had his bike stolen late Sunday night.

Sawyer Lee is now pleading with the thief to return it.

He says his bike was stolen outside the Winco grocery store, near Peach Avenue and Kings Canyon Road.

Sawyer says he’s mad this happened, “Rage has been the adequate description.”

His father, Steve Lee, says the bike is not just any bike, it’s a recumbent Catrike.

If you drive around Fresno, especially near Shaw and West, chances are you’ve seen Sawyer riding this recumbent trike.

He’s had the bike for nine years and has ridden it up and down the state.

Lee says his son is autistic and the bike is Sawyer’s only form of transportation and it allows him to be independent.

“He’s pretty high functioning but the balance on a bike he’s not able to maintain, so we discovered the trike a long time ago and it worked out perfect for him and it’s a great mode of transportation and it gets him around efficiently,” Lee said.

Sawyer made a stop at Winco, late Sunday night. He says he locked his bike around this pole.

“Went in there, got exactly what I needed, went to pay and walked out, noticed the bike was gone,” he said.

His father says the bike cost nearly $4,000.

“He bought the bike with his own money but he, he doesn’t earn hardly any money so he has no way of uh, purchasing a new bike,” Lee said.

Sawyer says he just wants his bike back.

“I’m pretty upset about it and if possible I would like the person to return it,” he said.

Investigators are looking into surveillance video. They ask if anyone sees the bike to call the Fresno Police Department at (559) 621-7000.

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