CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Auto thefts have become all too common in Colorado, but when it happened to Marshall Perkins of Centennial, he was still surprised.
On April 16, the father of three went to the South Suburban Golf Course to hit a bucket of balls. He parked his car, a 2010 silver Lincoln MKX, and accidentally left the keys inside.
“I was there for maybe 45 minutes and when I walked back my car was gone,” Perkins said.
More than a week later the car hasn’t turned up, so Perkins hasn’t been able to work as an Uber driver. Uber has been the family’s biggest source of income since August, when their 7-year-old son Jack was diagnosed with optic nerve glioma, which is a brain tumor. It allows Perkins the flexibility to take Jack to appointments and travel with him to Memphis for treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
“We’ve tried to work our life around to make Jack have the easiest life possible, with both of his parents home, with his dad able to give him his full attention when he’s having a hard time,” said Caroline Perkins, Jack’s mom.
Fortunately, the medication Jack is currently on seems to be working and his prognosis is good. But around the same time Jack was diagnosed, the family welcomed a baby girl, so expenses have increased. They also have a 2-year-old daughter.
Perkins was driving for Uber six days a week to make ends meet when his car was stolen.
“It’s not just a car, it’s my livelihood. This is how I feed my family. This is how I pay my mortgage,” he said.
The family filed a police report with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
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