Stolen Prosthetic Returned To Girl
Published: January 7, 2006
A Temple City girl who tragically lost one leg in a car accident two years ago now has three.
Melissa Huff, 16, lost her real leg two years ago while standing in front of Dana Middle School when a driver lost control, drove on the sidewalk and hit her. The prosthetic was stolen Nov. 1 when a burglar broke into the family’s home in Temple City.
Melissa’s brother, Derek, found the leg in the backyard Thursday.
“I was going to put my bike into the garage, and then once I did that, I just saw it lying on the grass,” Derek said.
The leg was probably thrown over the fence in the backyard, said Sgt. David Austin of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Who knows whether they felt bad or they just wanted to get rid of it, because somebody, somewhere would have information as to who took it and where it’s been,” Austin said.
Melissa has other replacement legs, but the stolen prosthetic was a special shock-absorbent “sports leg” with a flexible foot that she can play softball on.
The Arcadia High School sophomore said the leg was returned just in time, because softball tryouts are scheduled for next week.
Res-Com Financial Group in Arcadia offered to help pay for a new leg when news of the theft broke in December. Melissa says she plans to continue using the new leg, but is happy to have the old one as a backup.
Sheriff’s detectives said they plan to keep the stolen leg temporarily to try and lift fingerprints, but it will be returned to Melissa soon.
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