Detectives on Wednesday sought the public’s help to find the thieves who stole a trailer filled with art supplies that were meant for dozens of kid’s who have autism in Lake Elsinore.
The trailer was found, but almost everything inside of it was stolen.
Crystal Schenck-McFarlin used the trailer to store supplies for her mobile art studio called Pretty Paints which provides art therapy for children, many of them who have autism, including crystal’s daughter scarlet.
“Seeing the colors that they choose and the shapes they make it’s absolutely amazing,” she said.
Schenck-McFarlin also gives 50 percent of the money she earns to a nonprofit organization that helps with kids who have autism.
“They took our banners they took our paint supplies,” Schenck-McFarlin said.
But early Tuesday, someone stole her trailer from outside her Wildomar home.
“I woke up to a phone call from a gentleman in Lake Elsinore and said, ‘we found your trailer.’ And we had no idea it was stolen.”
The owner of an RV park found the trailer in a grassy area. Almost all of the art supplies, costing about $3, had been taken.
Fortunately the RV park gave Schenck-McFarlin surveillance video of the suspect’s SUV driving in with the trailer and then leaving without it. Parents whose kids attend the art therapy classes are heartbroken.
“Ezra has a duel diagnosis of autism and ADHD,” said Elizabeth Dezarov, a parent.
She says the art classes have changed her son’s life for the better.
“It touches me,” she said. “It touches so many people I know.”
