Seat thief strikes girl’s bus stop twice since school’s start

Olivia was a bit apprehensive at the start of this school year. At 8 years old, it would be the first time she had to board the bus all by herself. So to alleviate her anxiety, Olivia’s mother Irene Stokkeland found a way to make the transition a bit easier, “She is only 8 so this was a big deal and I wanted to make things a little nicer for her. I thought it would be nice to put a bench by the corner bus stop.”

She made sure to place the small metal bench near the bus stop, but on her family’s private property on Glenmere Ave. However, since it was situated near the road, Irene decided to include a laminated sign instructing passersby that it was for kids to use as a bus stop, and not to take it.

“It was heavy, made out of wrought iron, so I didn’t think I needed to chain it to a tree,” Irene explained. “Boy was I wrong! I thought I lived in a good neighborhood!”

The bench was put in place on September 10, but when her daughter went to use it the next school day, it was gone. “What a sad world we live in that we have to do that,” Irene said of the alleged thief.

According to Irene, the bench’s disappearance has left her daughter shaken, fearing that someone would eventually come into their house as well, to steal other items.

“Olivia was sad. She was scared. She asked if whoever stole this would come and steal from our house. We practiced going to the bus stop and this was something that she could know exactly where to be and wait. And for other kids to use too. So now this one act makes her nervous, but we have great neighbors that watch out for her,” said Irene. “She’s a rock star. She is so sweet and kind. I hate that she had to experience this.”

Irene took to Facebook after the bench’s disappearance, and even called the Florida police, but no one in the community has come forward, and the police have yet to report any progress.

A glimmer of hope came this week when an anonymous neighbor dropped off a little wooden stool for Olivia to use. It included a note, “Hope this helps! Do Not Remove.” According to Irene, Olivia was feeling a bit better about the situation. But just as fast it came, that seat was also snatched up by some unseen culprit.

“As a mom, you try to shield them from the bad in the world,” Irene explained. “I just didn’t think it would happen in my own yard.”