Published: September 25, 2008 10:47 am         

South Bend man searches for stolen legs

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A 68-year-old man who lost his legs to diabetes says his two prosthetic legs were stolen from a sport utility vehicle parked in his locked garage.

Joseph Kopinski said he was recently fitted with the two prosthetic legs and was just learning to walk with them when they were stolen last week.

“That’s pretty low, to take off with somebody’s legs,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of things in my life, but never artificial legs.”

The legs, which cost about $2,000 each, disappeared from the back of Kopinski’s SUV, which was parked in the garage of his South Bend home. The garage was locked, but not the SUV, he said.

Kopinski, who is retired, couldn’t find the legs Monday when he arrived at a physical therapy session. Friends helped him searched the car and the garage for the missing limbs.

He said the legs, wrapped in blue plastic bags, had been in the back of his vehicle since the previous week’s physical therapy session.

Kopinski, who uses a scooter to get around, had both legs amputated due to complications from diabetes. He said the prosthetic legs are of no value to anyone but him.

He’s still trying to figure out if the limbs are covered by his homeowners insurance.

Anyone with information about the limbs is asked to call South Bend police.