Roseville police help replace resident's stolen scooter
ROSEVILLE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Just off of Gratiot Avenue and E. 13 Mile Road, you'll find Roseville resident Michael Curmi cruising along on his brand-new motorized scooter.
Curmi's new helmet and two-wheel ride weren't his first thought. Just a few weeks ago, his last scooter was stolen right in front of him.
"This kid had a good story. And I believed him," said Curmi.
Curmi was riding his old scooter near a local high school when he came across someone who asked to give it a test drive of their own. Curmi let them, and they took off. Leaving him with nothing but his own two feet to walk home.
"I was devastated. I was yelling at him. Hey, hey, get over here, come back, bring it back. I called my mom, she was shocked. My whole family was shocked this happened to me," Curmi said.
The incident was followed by a call to the Roseville Police Department, where Sgt. Eric Saddler and Sgt. Anthony Coraci took over.
"We talked at great lengths. We talked for maybe 20 minutes on the phone, and he made it known to me that this scooter was essentially his lifeline," Saddler told CBS News Detroit.
The two investigators were prepared to replace Curmi's scooter with money of their own.
"He mentioned that his family has been struggling and going through some personal and medical issues, so I could just feel it in his voice that this scooter really meant a lot to him," Saddler said.
The department ended up covering the cost after word moved up the ladder, and on Wednesday afternoon, Saddler, Coraci and other members of the Roseville Police Department brought a brand new scooter to Curmi's home.
"One of the lines that he said that stuck out to me, it's like a guardian angel came down and blessed me, and he couldn't be more thankful," Saddler said.
"My eyes just like, wow. Like I was crying and I feel like I want to cry right now. There's a memory I'll never forget so I give a shoutout to all of the police officers that were right there. Those are all my heroes," Curmi said.
