San Diego police say they have taken a man into custody after he attempted to steal a 79-year-old amputee’s wheelchair from him early Thursday morning.

Police caught 54-year-old Stanley McQuery two blocks from where he had broke into the home of William Ballard, an amputee that needs his motorized wheelchair to get around.

McQuery broke into Ballard’s home through a bedroom window after removing the screen at approximately 3:30 am. Once inside McQuery made his way to the living room and began pushing the wheelchair out the door. McQuery confronted the elderly man when the man attempted to call for help on his phone. McQuery took the man’s phone from him, then pushed Ballard to the floor and drove the wheelchair from the home.

He was making his getaway down the street riding the wheelchair, when an officer on patrol saw McQuery, and attempted to stop him.

McQuery, as the police approached, jumped from the chair and ran, in an effort to get away. But, after ignoring orders to stop, police released their police dog on the fleeing suspect.

Once bitten and subdued by the K-9, McQuery was taken into custody. McQuery was bound on a gurney, and loaded into an ambulance that transported him to a local hospital for treatment of his dog-bites.

McQuery was later jailed on charges of Robbery, Burglary, Elder Abuse, and other lesser charges. He was booked into the San Diego Central Jail where his bail was set at $105,000.

  amputee, arrest, assault, burglary, police, robbery, san diego, stanley mcQuery, wheelchair