Category: Let's talk
Police in California are trying to understand why a teenage girl's prosthetic limb was stolen - and returned - twice in four months.
The $12,000 (£6,900) cosmetic leg was stolen from Melissa Huff's home near Los Angeles in November, and thrown back into her yard in January.
But on Valentine's Day the limb - and a second donated by a
sympathetic community - were both stolen.
Melissa's mother found them in the back of her unlocked car on Wednesday.
Melissa, 16, who lost her right leg below the knee in a car accident two years ago, said of the thefts: "It doesn't bother me... I'm not scared of them."
Ken Harper, a policeman in Arcadia, 38km (24 miles) east of Los Angeles, told the Associated Press news agency there were no witnesses to the return of the legs on Wednesday.
"Nobody was seen in or around the car... We lifted some
fingerprints and will see if there is any match," he said.
Police said the legs were scrawled with graffiti.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt David Austin told Reuters news agency Mrs Huff had the vehicle at Arcadia High School for about two hours.
"When she drove away she heard some rattling and ultimately found the two legs."
Police were treating the incident as a crime, he added.
"This is grand theft and burglary and if we find out who's
responsible we'll take appropriate action."
The community had rallied round after the first theft on 1 November, when a hole was cut in the window screen of the Huff home.
Melissa's doctor and two firms paid for a new $16,000 sports leg to help her play softball at Arcadia High.
She was unable to wear either because of surgery at the time of the second theft, when they were taken from her bedroom.
Melissa had been scheduled to pick up a third leg on Friday, which had been donated by the community.
It's Marilyn Manson he collects prosthetics this all began in childhood
this is a very strange story. stealing limbs and then returning them? very confusing story.
That's just sick, rude and wrong!
Well it's not Manson as he would certainly keep the limbs, feck knows what he does with them
It's indeed a wierd story. I've heard it on the news. Someone has to know the girl real well to know where her room is and where she hides the legs. Wondering maybe a parent could be involved? I mean look at the story again: No one was in or around the car at the high school and to all of a sudden "hear" them rattle in the trunk just sounds fishy. Someone she knows has to be doing this for attention.
ok, thisis just creepy! i'm going all shivery and looking over my shoulder reading it...i really shouldn't have read this.
*goes into the bedroom and curls up in bed in the fetal position and turns the electric blanket up to 9.*
what a storry. why would someone do that? i think it was a joke but if it was a joke i think it is verry crule and out of order. they should be put away for that. anyway i like the girls atatude to words the whole thing. may i ask has she got all her legs back?