William Washington, Quadriplegic Man, Robbed Of iPhone; Nakiem Sanders Arrested

Quadriplegic Man Robbed Of His Only Way To Communicate

When a heartless thief stole an iPhone from William Washington, he wasn't just robbing him of a smart phone.

He robbed this quadriplegic man of his only physical connection to the world around him.

Washington, who suffers from cerebral palsy, cannot walk, talk or use his hands, according to NBC News. His only mode of communication comes from a special pointer he uses to type a message that is then spoken by voice technology on the iPhone.

He could only watch on Nov. 8 as the phone was taken off the tray of his wheelchair at his New York City apartment. He was unable to call 911 so he drafted an email to the NYPD, the Daily Mail reports.

Using a clunky computer to type in his responses, he told NBC that he was "scarred" by the incident.

"You shouldn't steal from a disabled person who relies on a special device to reach out to the world," Washington said.

Cops looked at surveillance footage and this week arrested an 18-year-old who lives in the building, CNET reports. The Staten Island Advance identified the man as Nakiem Sanders.

Sanders reportedly didn't have the iPhone anymore after his arrest, but Washington's friends pooled money to get him a new one.

Before You Go

Bad Process Server

Bad Choices

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot